Change of Heart
by SuetonicSonic
Summary: After the events of Sonic Forces, Infinite the Jackal is arrested and sentenced to exile. What will happen when our favorite pink hero risks her neck to try and redeem him? Shinanigans. Shenanigans ensue. Multi-chapter, ratings may change as story progresses, slow-burn Infinite x Amy. Complete!
1. Chapter 1: First Time For Everything

Welcome back to this trainwreck! I did not like the way this story [Heart Song] originally went so I have spent the past year or so rewriting it! I really hope people like this version better, I know I do! I did recycle what I liked from the original posting but a majority of it is original! I MUST repeat that a majority of this is based on headcanons I had had after Sonic Forces.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

A dark, menacing figure sat in his surprisingly spacious cell, heavily shackled, muzzled, and seething. He looked around his cell for the umpteenth time today. The walls were pristine white with white tile floors to match. All the Mobian's nose could smell was the bleach used to clean the cell and the recycled oxygen being pumped continuously throughout the facility's ventilation system. The only light available came from the blinding artificial overhead lights, the whiteness of the room making it seem much brighter. Being a desert-dweller, the canine thought that he would have been used to such an overbearing gleam. With a sigh, he concluded that he must be somewhere deep underground. The only thing keeping him from the outside world was a thick, large pane of glass that opened into a just as large interrogation room.

The canine studied the two GUN officers sitting at the table signing papers who stole glances at the jackal every now and again, eyes filled with apprehension and fear. The jackal smiled a savage, toothy grin, mask no longer hiding his mangled face; while he was still muzzled, it did not do much to hide his bared teeth. His single functioning eye radiated such wickedness, his squad-mates would have been almost proud of him. He relished in the pair's simultaneously widened eyes and hurried signing of the papers. They were right to fear him. Even without the Phantom Ruby, he was still more than a match for a hundred humans. Fear, he mulled.

Fear seemed to be the only thing to make him smile these days. The jackal sat down on his board of a bed, calling to mind all that had transpired over the past week and a half.

GUN had found the canine half-dead near the Doctor's Empire Fortress shortly after the final battle the resistance fought with Eggman, the Phantom Ruby destroyed in the process, leaving his chest to be severely scarred; a deep chasm was left where the Ruby was once embedded in his chest. He stood trial, albeit a short one, on whether he was to be executed or be imprisoned for the rest of his life. The jackal had been amazed to find out that only one vote had kept him alive. Despite how desolate and barren he had left the planet, the government continued to be merciful. Part of him believed that he should have been killed, but of course, nothing could ever go the way he wanted.

He scoffed at the thought, continuing to watch the officers on the other side of the glass. By the looks of things, the two had finished signing the paperwork that would be sending the canine on a new adventure, one that he had never deemed possible. All the information he could collect thus far was that a friend of Sonic the Hedgehog defended the canine in some way during his trial, somehow persuading the GUN Commander to allow the jackal to be… released. Redeemed, they had worded it. Amelia Rose was the name of the foolish individual. The name sounded much like a fat, old woman's name, the canine mulled to himself. Nonetheless, this woman was nothing short of an idiot, the Commander as well.

Maybe both since the canine knew from visits from Tower that he only agreed to let the girl do this is because Tower himself did not want to get his hands dirty with all of this. One of the most dangerous criminal masterminds ever-before seen on this miserable planet and they were going to set him free.

Speak of the devil, he shall appear. A quick beep chimed from the overly secured door leading into the interrogation room and the two soldiers scrambling to get in salute, Commander Abraham Tower strolled into the interrogation room. The man was as stark as Infinite first remembered him being when he first met the human. Tower was sharply dressed in an all-navy blue suit with a soirée of different medallions and pins adorning his military sash, certainly a sight to behold. Infinite could see straight through the facade; the Commander was only trying to show off and intimidate the jackal. Infinite also saw that accompanying the Commander was an atrociously pink hedgehog wearing an equally appalling red dress.

The hedgehog looked to be very young at first glance. Her entire outfit complimented her as horrendous as it was to him. Her body language spoke that underneath this sweet veneer she emitted, she meant business. Something was telling Infinite that he was going to regret this entire ordeal. The jackal did not realize that he was staring until he noticed that the young girl was waving at him with the gentlest smile on her face. Disgusted, the jackal bared his fangs at her, earning him a most lovely expression of terror; he loved it. The Commander saw this exchange and took it as his cue to speak to the canine. Tower effortlessly flipped a switch located somewhere underneath the interrogation table and just like that, the Commander's gruff voice filled Infinite's cell.

"Pleasure to see you making nice with the hedgehog responsible for saving your pathetic lot," the human said, as blunt and sarcastic as always. The only reaction Tower received from the jackal was a childish eye roll from his left eye, as the canine's right had been stripped of its sight by one of Tower's top agents; not that the jackal could really talk while muzzled anyways.

"You should be thanking miss Amelia here, cretin," the Commander continued. "Because you will be spending a fair amount of time in her care when you two ship off to Adabat tomorrow morning."

Adabat? Please let this be a joke. The man has got to be joking, there is absolutely no way that he would even consider letting Infinite go; trial or no trial. Hell, just two weeks ago he was aiding the Doctor in destroying the planet. Now he was going to be exiled to a very popular vacationing spot for tourists and locals alike.

"Not very chatty today, are we jackal? No matter, you'll have plenty of time to find your voice."

Earning yet another eye roll from Infinite, the Commander turned off the voice feed and Infinite was shrouded in deafening silence once more. The jackal found himself looking at the hedgehog once more, studying her.

So… this young girl was Amelia, the girl solely responsible for saving his life. Infinite could almost laugh at the thought. She was nothing like he was expecting, the girl looked so fragile and weak. She looked as if he could break her in half with very little effort, he didn't even need the Ruby. The jackal considered to himself that he could easily overpower this child and kill her, making his escape shortly after. He would make it quick, painless, and without much mess. He could probably leave her body out at sea so the ocean life could finish her off.

He was staring again, noticing only after Amelia gave him another soft wave. Infinite's eyes quickly darted back down to the tiled floor; shaking his head and sighing. These people were allowing this foolish girl to send herself into the lion's den, they were just letting her dig her own grave. Infinite smiled maliciously, thinking just how easy this whole ride was going to be as she waved at him once more, the canine's eye following the girl as she walked out of the interrogation room.

* * *

"Ames," a blue hedgehog sighed, exasperated by what his friend had just told him. "You can't actually be serious. Please, tell me you're joking."

Amy forced herself to stay silent and continued to pack a small bag of her belongings, such as a couple of changes of clothes and other items. Sonic had come when she called, accompanied by Tails, to see what the "big news" was that she had been teasing them about; she wanted to tell them in person. She wanted to see them for what may be the last time.

The blue hedgehog stared at his friend, completely and utterly in disbelief the longer she ignored him. This didn't go unnoticed by Amy, she had expected a different reaction from her two closest friends.

"You're gonna get yourself killed Ames," Sonic tried to "reason" with her again. "You're too… young to do this. He doesn't deserve to be saved after what he did." With that, Amy felt something inside her chest snap and let loose a raging fire. She turned on her heels and stood nose-to-nose with Sonic.

"That's rich coming from the honorable Hero of Mobius! Everyone is worth saving! EVERY. SINGLE. LIFE." She felt her cheeks flush red, anger completely piloting her choice of words.

"Hey, don't ye-!" Sonic found himself interrupted.

"So, you're gonna tell me that Shadow wasn't worth saving? I changed his mind about destroying the planet, Sonic! Made him realize that he was wrong! And you're gonna tell me I'm wrong when I made you change your mind about destroying Gamma?!" Sonic was at a loss for words, he just stared at Amy. Fresh, hot tears were streaming down her face and it made something deep inside him ache.

"Amy…" He started after a few moments. "You're only fourteen- "

"And that makes a difference? I orchestrated a rebellion! I made battle plans, recruited soldiers, and helped Knuckles command the Resistance while you were held captive by Egghead for six months! Hell, I even fought on the battlefield myself! I am anything but a child!" With that, Tails finally spoke up.

"Amy, he doesn't think you're childish. He just… We don't… Want you to bite off more than you can handle…"

The pink hedgehog mulled over that briefly before piping up again, the two boys eagerly awaiting what she had to say.

"I know you two are looking after me and all, but I have to do this. I don't know why but I do. Something is telling me this is the right thing to do..." She did not wait for them to retort, scooping up her bag and headed towards the door. With a shift behind her, Amy felt a gentle hand grasp her shoulder. Tails.

"Amy… Could you… just think it through a little more? Are you sure you want to do this?" Tails' voice was laced with intense concern for her wellbeing, he always had been mature even considering how young he was. Even after all these years, Tails was still the more responsible of the evil-stopping duo that was Sonic and Tails, despite his young age. Amy gave a soft sigh and shrugged the fox's hand off her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Tails. I've already decided. Goodbye, guys…" Finally feeling as though she got her point across and permanently shattering her own heart, Amy left and headed to the last of her friends to give her farewell: Cream.

* * *

The hedgehog could smell desserts galore even before the quaint hut was in sight. Everything about the house screamed that the residents inside were just as bright and lovely as the array of colors adorning their lawn. The yard was overflowing with various plant life and lawn ornaments, Amy narrowly avoided colliding with a lone pot of begonias while she was lost in thought. Stepping onto the porch and going toward the entrance, Amy gently knocked on the door. A gasp followed the thump with a quick pitter-patter of footsteps racing to the door, a young rabbit's delightfully smiling face greeted Amy along with her pet chao, Cheese. The sight of Amy's sister-figure made the hedgehog beam, almost making her forget why she had come in the first place.

"Hey, Cream!" Amy exclaimed as she hugged the younger girl. "Is Vanilla home…?"

The rabbit nodded and led Amy to the kitchen, a much older rabbit was pulling what appeared to be a red velvet cake out of the oven. Noticing that she had company, Vanilla put her cake on a cooling rack and took off her oven mitts, smiling warmly at Amy.

"Hello, dear Rose," Vanilla spoke, her soft voice making Amy feel so safe and secure. Vanilla was not her mother, but the older rabbit had always claimed Amy as her own child. "What brings you here? I was not expecting you until later."

The pink hedgehog perked up as she realized that Vanilla was addressing her. She had a feeling that Vanilla did know why she was here, but she started explaining anyways, immediately being interrupted by the older rabbit.

"Cream dear, would you go outside and pick mommy a nice bouquet for our tea party?" With an excited (but polite) yes, the little bunny ran outside leaving the two older individuals alone. Vanilla walked over to Amy and took the girl's hand, leading her to the living area, they both sat on the love seat. After a pregnant silence, the mother rabbit spoke.

"Tails called me not long ago." Amy felt her heart sink and faint anger rising in her chest, she wanted to be the one that told Vanilla what she was doing. How dare Tails even think about doing that! Amy opened her mouth to speak but Vanilla shushed her.

"He did not tell me everything, I see that look on your face. However, he did tell me enough. Rose, as your mother, I am very concerned and worried over what you are now getting yourself into." The rabbit held up a stern finger seeing as Amy was attempting to speak again. "And I wanted to tell you that I am not angry with you, not in a million years."

The urchin found herself stunned, not expecting that at all. Amy wanted her mother to argue with her, to tell her not to do this. Despite how much Amy seemed to be so set on her decision, she was terrified. She did not know what Infinite was truly capable of, but she truly did feel as though this was something she needed to do, that it was destiny.

"I have watched you grow for many years, as far as anyone is concerned, you are my daughter. You have been an outstanding sister to Cream, you have fought against evil on several occasions. You have always held your head high and fought for what was right. You are not easily deterred and are so strong-willed, so full of fire. I am very proud of you, my dearest Rose. This mission you are taking on… I completely support you. I know it is terrifying going into the unknown, but I know that you will do great, my child."

Amy did not realize she was crying until she felt the tears running down her neck. Vanilla placed a gentle hand on the hedgehog's cheek and wiped her tears away, pulling the girl into a tight hug, muffled sobs erupting from Amy. Even when you're fourteen, there is no shame in receiving a hug from your mother while you cry. An opening of the door made Amy quickly break free from Vanilla's hold.

Cream ushered in with her assortment of daisies, baby's-breath, and chrysanthemums, a smile plastered on her muzzle, her pet chao close behind. She stopped her parade as soon as she noticed Amy's reddened, tear-stained cheeks.

"Amy….?" The eight-year-old asked with a small squeak, she was about to cry as well. The urchin quickly stood up and smiled, assuring Cream that she was alright. With that, Amy and Cream followed Vanilla into the dining room where there was an assortment of tea cakes and pastries placed throughout the set. For the first time that day, Amy allowed herself to forget everything she was facing. She just wanted to spend a nice, normal evening with her family before she had to ship off to Adabat for who knows how long.

Amy's afternoon was majorly spent playing in Cream's room, followed by a movie marathon. After dinner, the sisters built an expansive pillow fort in the living area, a thick layer of blankets underneath the fluffy fortress, a small lantern illuminating the book that Cream had chosen from her library. Following a thrilling couple chapters of Charlotte's Web, Cream was fast asleep in the crook of Amy's arm, Cheese as well. The hedgehog took a moment to reflect on the day's events, quickly reminding herself that she was not supposed to worry about that until tomorrow.

Blowing out the lantern, the living area was shrouded in darkness. Amy closed her eyes and the harmony of wildlife outside lulled her into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.


	2. Chapter 2: Home Is Where The Heart Is

Thank you for all the reviews and favorites on this story so far! It really inspires me to continue!  
I am happy to know that there are people who are enjoying my AU/fanfiction!

\- Sue

* * *

The flight to Adabat was nothing short of awkward, not to mention the air was thick with tension. All attempts at conversing with the shackled canine were all in vain, she was met with savage growls each time. With him also being muzzled, he wouldn't have been able to comfortably talk anyways, not even if he wanted to. Infinite wondered why she was even trying, he was going to kill her soon enough. Just save him the trouble, makes things easier. The GUN soldiers transporting the two were not too chatty either. Their uniforms were overkill, heavily padded with a full assortment of weaponry adorning them as if their prisoner was even capable of fighting them right now. You can never be too careful, right?

Infinite's eyes were practically glued to the floor, only periodically glancing at Amy. They were wide, seemingly unphased by recent events but the urchin knew that underneath that veneer, he was terrified of what was to come. The hedgehog studied Infinite when he wasn't watching, him being lost in thought was an excellent distraction. She noted the many deep scars etched into his arms and torso, his chest being the one that worried her most. Where the Phantom Ruby had been attached to Infinite's body, there was now a hideous cicatricle scar in a triangular pattern. With how quickly the wound had scabbed and healed, the jackal still possessed some of the Ruby's power if it had not completely diminished by now.

"Is there any sense in having him…" Amy piped up, gesturing towards the jackal. "…like that?" She was surrounded by intense stares by all three individuals occupying the helicopter's cab. The gruffest looking of the soldiers, Major Lombardi his tag read, was the first and only to answer her question, his voice complimenting him entirely.

"I dunno what they told y'bout this mutt, but he is a savage and until he's outta our hair, he's gonna stay jus' like that."

"It is horrid, it is inhumane! Not to mention making me uncomfortable, he and I are both Mobians!" The soldier then held his hands up to her.

"Listen lil lady, I hear ya. But it ain't gonna matter when he rips ya apart. He already did it to my partner over there, look a lil closer at their arm."

Amy did. Noticing the tattered, bloodied sleeve on the soldier's right arm she hadn't realized was there, the hedgehog felt a shudder run down her spine. A quick glance at the wild-eyed jackal told her that this wasn't staged. She suddenly felt very small, walls closing in around her. What in the hell had she just gotten herself in to? Of all the stupid things, why did she agree to perform rehab on a psychopath? One that has captured, injured and killed thousands. It was then Lombardi broke her out of her ever-growing panic.

"Not t' mention he could hijack the 'copter or somethin' if we let him outta the shackles." Cold laughter started to erupt somewhere inside the prisoner's body, the conversing pair quickly turning in Infinite's direction. As his chuckling slowly died down, the canine took in a sharp intake of breath. As painful as it was to speak with the muzzle on, he managed a few soulless words into a bone-chilling sentence.

"Well, there's an idea…"

* * *

The helicopter made its descent onto a lone island off the coast of the mainland of Adabat, sand and other debris flying in its wake. The soldiers kept their weapons fixated on Infinite despite the Mobian was incapacitated by his restraints, utterly defenseless without his powers. Looking out of the door, Amy soaked in her surroundings. The hedgehog surveyed and her eye caught sight of a path on the farthest left side of the beach, she also noticed a tree hanging over what seemed to be a tidepool; she logged these spots away in her subconscious. Major Lombardi grabbed the hedgehog's bag and stepped out of the chopper first, assisting Amy on her decent as well; Lombardi handed the urchin her pack. Infinite, however, did not receive the same treatment.

Still, in his shackles and muzzle, the injured soldier ushered Infinite along to the chopper's opening. The soldier had the barrel of his rifle digging into the jackal's back, pushing him closer and closer to the edge. As Infinite was stepping out, the soldier seemed that the canine was taking too long and flipped his rifle around, striking him hard in the back of the head. Infinite then lost his balance, toppling headfirst into the gritty sand below. While he was left squirming and growling, Amy scowled with murderous intent towards the now cackling soldiers. Anger boiled deep inside Amy's chest and she was tired of the trio and this entire mission.

The heroine opened her mouth to retort but was immediately cut off by Lombardi. He held out his hand towards her, the urchin returning the gesture; a small key was then dropped into her palm.

"He's all yours, toots." With that, the trio of soldiers clambered back inside the chopper's cab, finally leaving Amy with Infinite. Turning back in his direction, the canine had squirmed enough to get on his knees and onto his feet, sitting on a boulder nearby. His single functioning eye shot Amy an icy glare as if to ask what she was looking at. The hedgehog made her way over to him with her hands up, showing Infinite that all she intended to do was take his restraints off. Sitting her bag down in the sand, Amy got to work.

She started with his handcuffs; getting behind him, she felt him tense up and Amy knew he was ready to attack if need be. Unlocking the cuffs, Infinite quickly pulled his arms around to his front to rub his wrists. In the short glimpse that she had of them, she saw that they looked injured, possibly from the cuffs being too tight and restricting blood flow. Unlocking his ankle cuffs next, they also looked a bit swollen. Lastly, Amy hesitated in unfastening his muzzle, fearing that he would most definitely attack her when she did so; he never did.

Infinite just sat there looking at the hedgehog with that same glare, almost as if he was keeping an eye on his prey. A faint shiver ran up Amy's spine, but she was not going to let him get the best of her. As dominantly as possible, Amy snatched her pack up and stomped her way towards the path she saw earlier, assuming that would be the way to the hut that Commander Tower had promised to issue. With a grunt and some shuffling behind her, Infinite had hopped off the rock and began following her. Amy could feel his stare burning a hole in the back of her head, making her really feel like his prey now.

The hedgehog had been right about the path, it led the Mobians to a very quaint hut in the middle of a clearing in the surrounding jungle. The shack was obviously built recently, leftover building supplies were stationed close by. It resembled a little home; the walls being made of real lumber and the roof was shingled. The shack was unpainted, which was fine to Amy as it blended into the environment bordering it. Beach grass and pikake flowers flourished in the dunes, accenting the hut in a way that almost made the hedgehog feel right at home.

She stepped onto the small deck and walked through the threshold. The living area was larger than Amy had anticipated. There was a couch, coffee table, kerosene lamp, and metal cabinet; there was even a nice area rug. The urchin waltz over to the cabinet and opened it, seeing more kerosene, a map, matches, rope, and plenty of other small survival tools. After studying the contents for a moment and closing the cabinet, Amy ventured further into the hut. She made her way into a small bedroom of sorts; there was a bed, dresser, nightstand, and storage trunk. The only problem was that there was only one bed. Infinite was not too far behind and the hedgehog could hear his breath hitch as soon as he saw the single bunk, a low growl escaping his throat.

"Unacceptable," he commented, voice laced with malicious intent.

"Hey, no one said we had to share a bed," Amy defended, holding up her hands. "I can sleep on the couch." Infinite snarled, baring his fangs. He turned on his heels and threw his pack onto the couch, claiming it for himself. The urchin sighed and sat her own bag on the bed that seemed to now be hers. She put her belongings in the nightstand stationed beside the bed hoping that Infinite didn't want it, Amy would hate to make even more tension form between the two. Neither of them really wanted this, that she was sure of. Everything about this entire arrangement was forced, they both knew that.

The only thing Amy could do now was now to carry out the job she had given herself: redeem Infinite the Jackal.

* * *

Only a few weeks had passed into the pair's exile and Adabat was still just as underwhelming as anyone could imagine. Hot, blistering heat accompanied by a disgusting, salty breeze that constantly blew through the air, always getting into the deepest portions of your fur; the dry monsoon season. To top it all off, the sand was the worst of it by far. In fact, a certain jackal was getting a big taste of it right now.

Today was the day he attempted to attack the helpless young hedgehog; it did not go according to plan. His idea to ambush Amy had been unsuccessful if you could believe. One second the jackal was coming in for the kill, and the next thing he knew, a giant hammer met him square in the gut and he was sent flying through the air, ultimately faceplanting in the sand. Amelia sat on a boulder nearby to where Infinite laid sprawled out and in pain, his pride and ribs bruised all the same. The pink hedgehog was waiting for an apology to arise from the canine but none came; all she was met with were soft groans of pain and the periodical spitting of sand.

"Serves you right for trying to attack me, you jerk," the urchin yells after a short time, she was absolutely seething. "Just when I thought you were starting to take this mission to heart."

Infinite gave a weak growl in response. The hedgehog scoffed and hopped off her rock, making her way over to Infinite. The two still needed to get water from the river before the sun went down. Amy looked down at the canine and gave him a nudge in his side with her foot, earning the hedgehog a loud snarl.

"You're an absolute savage, oh my goodness," Amelia sighed, speaking in that high, nasally voice Infinite despised with a passion. "I didn't even hit you that hard! Consider yourself lucky!"

Infinite took in a shaky breath as he lifted his head to look at her. "You-, " he sputtered, spitting out some sand. "Went easy on me…?"

"Technically, no. But I didn't hit you as hard as I've hit others. Just know that you could have been much worse off than you are right now." She crossed her arms as she finished her last sentence, walking away from him as she did so. The jackal let his head fall back into the sand, groaning once again. How weak he had become, he thought to himself. He had forgotten how worthless of a lifeform he was without the aid of the Ruby. Slowly but surely, Infinite picked himself off the ground and his eyes shot to the hedgehog.

Amy was picking up the water pails they had been using to collect water from the river that was a short hike into the jungle just ahead of them. She was starting her way down the path, leaving him behind. Having no excuse as to not go with her, he just silently followed her. He did not feel bad for attacking her, but he was certainly regretting it right about now. Every breath he took felt as if his entire chest was a popping, crackling fire. Every step he took did not ease the pain, no matter how soft the advancement he made.

By first glance, Amy did not look like she was capable of delivering a blow as powerful as she had given him. The young hedgehog looked about as strong as a newborn child. As embarrassed as he felt about the whole ordeal, he had to admire her strength. He studied her as she walked ahead of him, obviously frustrated. Amelia was very upset that he had tried to attack her. Certainly, he wasn't stupid enough to think he could have bested her in a fight? Apparently, he had. Why else would G.U.N. have agreed to let her take on the job of rehabilitating and reforming him? Now he was just silently following her, perhaps he was in thought as well. Maybe he might even be planning to apologize to her.

The two soon made it to the river, further walking down to the spot Amelia had chosen as their water collecting spot. Amelia carefully stepped foot on the rocks, kneeling onto the soft, grassy moss that covered them. The hedgehog scooped water into the few pails she had and just as quickly brought them back up. She brought the buckets up to the rocks, careful not to let them slip on the moss there, picked them up, and went back on the path towards the hut without so much as a word to Infinite.

He watched her pass him, raising his hand to offer her help but dropped it as soon as he asked himself why he cared at all. The jackal lowered his tail anyways and followed her, a few paces behind as always. When they made it back to the hut, the sun was already setting. Pinks and oranges bleeding into one another with large, fluffy clouds to accent the hues. The waves from the beach nearby were an addition to the beach aesthetic that Amy loved so dearly.

She wished that the two had gotten back sooner so that she would have more time to fish. Life always had a way of changing her plans, she thought as she stole a glimpse of her jackal companion. He was making himself useful by stacking wood together for the fire they were to start soon. Amy grabbed her fishing net and bait, making her way her way down to the beach. Infinite watched as she left, turning his attention back to the wood he was stacking as soon as she was out of sight. She left him alone. The hedgehog must have finally given up on trying to be friendly with him since he had been declining her amiable advances since day one on this stupid island. It also meant that she trusted him not to run away and escape while she was away.

It made him sick how someone could just… put their trust in someone that they barely even knew. That's how you get yourself killed. If you so freely gave your trust away, most would take advantage of that in a heartbeat. Being sixteen years old, Infinite knew this to be true. Working with Sonic the Hedgehog for so long must really warp the logical reasoning in one's brain, the jackal silently concluded. Soon enough, he could hear the pitter-patter of boots crunch against the sand. The urchin came over the horizon, a smile on her face and a small haul of fish. He had already made his way to a rock solely for the job that he was about to receive.

Amy poured the fish out onto his work station and Infinite wasted no time in getting started. The jackal began the meticulous task of cleaning the quarry. Filing off the scales, splitting the creatures down the middle of their bellies, removing the innards and threw them into a bucket. He cracked a smile as he watched Amelia's face turn a faint shade of green, quickly fleeing to the hut. She liked to fish but hated to clean them. Infinite quickly cleaned the fish and got them prepared for Amelia to cook.

The hedgehog had come out of the hut at some point and proceeded to start the fire while he worked to give him some light. Amy watched as the sky melted into a sea of blues and deep purples, the stars soon coming out, dancing in the night as they did so. The moon was but a slit in the dark blue above the clouds. She caught herself wondering how her friends were doing back home…

A clearing of the throat broke her from her thoughts. The jackal had finished gutting the fish and she came over and collected them. This was the system that they had begun. They would each take turns completing certain tasks. If Amelia fished, Infinite cleaned the catch, Amelia then cooked the fish, and Infinite would empty the gutbucket. So far, so good, as neither of them seem to have any quarrels with the system that they had started. If it's not broken, don't fix it, as Sonic would say.

The hedgehog began the process of skewering the fish and placing them on the hand-crafted rotisserie device that the jackal had constructed. Infinite seemed to know a lot about survival and Amy really wished that he would talk about his life with her. It wasn't like he had anything to lose in telling her, they were going to be together for a while yet. As the fish roasted on the spit, the pink hedgehog attempted at making small talk.

"Infinite," the heroine questioned. "Where did you grow up?" The jackal's head perked up. He was staring absently at the ground, lost in thought. Infinite looked her up and down, skeptical as to why she would even ask such a question.

"Why do you want to know," he replied, a dark tone dripping from his voice. Stark cynicism adorned his face making the hedgehog's fur on the back of her neck stand on end.

"I-I just wanted to make small talk…" she trailed off with a slight stutter, clearing her throat.

The jackal sighed, finally giving in. "I grew up in the harsh deserts of Shamar with a small group of other jackals. Scavenging for food, fighting to live…" he ended on a sad tone of voice. Amy waited, a moment of silence if you will, seeing if he would continue with what he had started; he never did. Testing the eaters, she decided to gently ask another question.

"Is… Is Infinite your real name?"

"No." He replied almost instantly like he had been expecting the question, anticipating it. His answer left her taken aback.

"Oh? What is your real name?" There was a gentle smile on her face. She felt that she might be leading up to a breakthrough.

"You are just full of questions tonight," he growled lowly with bared fangs, sniffing the air. "You should turn the fish now."

Nodding a thank you, Amy fumbled a bit as she flipped the fish on their opposite sides, noticing that the fish were becoming a bit too dark on their previous side. She then turned her attention back to the jackal near her, he had come closer to the fire now, tail wrapped around his body as he watched the fire dance.

"I just wanted to get to know you a little better, you know?" She continued her preceding conversation with Infinite.

The young woman heard him scoff, turning to look at her. The fire flickered in his eyes and she could almost say that he looked rather handsome. The shadows dancing across his face aided in the fire aesthetic, embers popping and crackling in harmony with the wildlife in the jungle. The smell even brought Amy back down to earth, she could almost say everything was peaceful… until Infinite's defensive reply broke the stillness.

"Persistent, aren't you Amelia?"

"Now, who's the one asking questions?" Amy giggled softly, a gleaming smile on her muzzle as she gently teased him. Infinite's eyelids fell and he raised a brow. He sighed, contemplating whether he should answer her question. The jackal was not made to 'play' and to 'tease'.

"My real name is… Zero," the jackal replied after a short time. Amy tilted her head, Zero had now turned his attention back to the fish.

"Zero? That sounds a lot nicer than 'Infinite', I think." The hedgehog paused in the middle of her sentence, unsure of how to continue the conversation. She saw Zero perk up at the compliment, a glimmer of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Thank you, Amelia," he said, completely sincere. He turned his head back to look at the fire, practically mesmerized by the flames rolling high. Perhaps the flames were nostalgic for him in some way?

Amy cringed as she always did when someone referred to her by her that name. She had always hated it and secretly despised her birth mother for branding her with it. The hedgehog could not blame Zero for calling her that though, she had not been able to properly explain her name preferences to him just yet. Now seemed as good a time as any, she thought.

"Speaking of names and everything," she started, the jackal looking towards her once again. "Can you not call me Amelia? I'd rather go by Amy. Amelia sounds like too much of a fat old woman's name."

Whether it was how she worded it or the expression on her face, Zero could not stop himself as a laugh erupted from his chest, forgetting that he had originally turned to tell her that the fish were burning.


	3. Chapter 3: New Start

This is a little shorter than the last two chapters and I apologize for not updating yesterday, time got away from me and I just had a rough day altogether. Anyways, this is a flashback chapter.

* * *

She sat in the stark-white room all by herself. Her sobs reverberating off the walls, filling the silent void. The young hedgehog had been picked up early from school by a family friend, the eight-year-old receiving the heartbreaking news soon after. Sometime mid-afternoon, there had been a horrific train accident; two trains collided into each other as they had been carelessly scheduled to ride on the same tracks at the same time. Amongst the casualties, both Amy Rose's father and mother lost their lives; the pair had been traveling back home from a business trip.

The young girl could barely grasp the concept that she would never see her parents again, it pained her so badly. She would no longer be able to feel their hugs, to see their smiling faces wave her off to school every morning, and… she would no longer be able to hear them tell her how much they loved her. The urchin's body wracked with even harder sobs, shaking as she did so. This was so much for a young child to go through alone. Or was she truly alone?

The door to the room opened wide, there stood her mother's friend Vanilla the Rabbit. The rabbit rushed in as fast as her pregnant frame would let her and held Amy in the tightest hug she could muster. The young girl wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck, crying just as she had been for the past hour. Vanilla stroked her quills, trying to calm her as best she could. As intensely as she may try, she knew that there would be no consoling her godchild for a while yet.

Throughout the afternoon, Vanilla tried her damnest to shield Amy from the legalities that came with death, mainly to legalities that came with having custody of a child signed over to someone else. Even when today's events had finished, there was still more to come. Vanilla was technically not Amy's godmother, not on paper at least. The rabbit repeatedly told the lawyers and officials that she alone was all Amy had left. The Rose family consisted of just Amy and her parents; there were no aunts, uncles, cousins, nor grandparents as the pair had cut off ties with them long ago. Though of course, the legal system would contact each family member that they could, that was the way things went.

The officials did, however, allow Vanilla to keep Amy until they could get in contact with a family member that would take the young girl; Vanilla stood firm on the hedgehog not going to any child homes. Though while everything was going on, Amy was completely oblivious. The only thing she had on her mind was to go home. She wanted to lay down in her bed and forget that this awful day had ever happened. The small girl imagined waking up tomorrow and that this would all have just been a horrible nightmare. Soon enough, she got one of her wishes; Vanilla took Amy to the rabbit's home.

Amy was no stranger to Vanilla's home, she had her own bedroom here and everything. The older Mobian always saw Amy as her own and treated her as such, she and her parents always wanted Amy to feel comfortable here in the case that something ever did happen to them; the rabbit hated that it did happen, Amy was so young to be without her parents. She was determined to give Amy the best life possible despite the hardships they were both facing now. Vanilla knew that none of the Rose family would take Amy, meaning that the rabbit has been granted a child before she had even given birth to her own.

The young girl had always told Vanilla that she wanted a sibling, the bunny knew that Amy would be a wonderful sister to her daughter. Despite that Amy's life would never be normal again, Vanilla was going to love the young girl until her very last breath. Tucking the hedgehog into her bed, the rabbit stroked her quills until Amy fell asleep, going to her own bed soon after to rest for the more stressful days to come.


	4. Chapter 4: Story Time

Thank you all so much for the reviews and kind words thus far! I promise that each chapter has a purpose!  
Tho, the purpose might not directly relate to this particular story. *wink wink*

* * *

Zero woke up feeling intense pain in his neck. Taking the couch was not the soundest decision but I was better than sleeping on the floor or sharing a bed with Amy, he supposed. The thought itself made him entirely uncomfortable, instead, he distracted himself by listening to the waves crashing nearby the hut. The jackal's ear twitched and he looked over to the entranceway to the bedroom, he could hear Amy shuffling around in the stillness of the morning.

Luckily while he was asleep, he missed her changing from her nightclothes and into her atrocious, red dress. Zero had forgotten that she had talked about going to the marketplace yesterday evening. He had half a mind to go with her. It was a lengthy trip to the nearest village and back. The jackal had gone with her the first time a few weeks ago and then told himself it might be better if he didn't tag along. Zero remembered the stares he got, all those judgmental faces.

Those villagers had to know who he was, they just… had to. Why else would they look at him like that? On top of that, the marketplace was very overcrowded, swarming with locals and tourists alike. At one point, a passerby has stepped on the jackal's tail, nearly breaking it by the sounds of Zero's howling. Amy was almost too late in stopping Zero from tearing apart the old pronghorn who had made the nearly fatal mistake. The journey home was a rather silent one, but Amy had managed to get the jackal to crack a small grin when she told him that she would be making wild berry porridge, Zero's newfound favorite food.

Amy stepped into the living area, going to the supply cabinet. For a second, she forgot what she was doing but just as soon as she had forgotten, she shook her head and grabbed the map from inside. She softly closed the double doors and carefully slipped the paper into her pouch. She turned around and jumped, surprised to see that Zero was awake and looking at her. The jackal heard her let out a relieved sigh.

"I'm going to the marketplace," she said in a hushed tone, afraid that she might have woke him.

"I remember that you said you were going," Zero replied, voice gruff from his time being asleep.

"You don't have to go with me this time. I uh…" Amy paused as she cleared her throat. "I don't want a repeat of last time." She saw the jackal grimace, his eyes quickly darting to the wood-paneled floors.

"It wasn't your fault, Zero. I would have had the same reaction… more or less."

He scoffed, rolling his eye. "I know. But the rage I felt was my fault. I could very well have killed that man over an accident. The situation could have quickly turned into a blood bath had it not been for your intervention. I… could have jeopardized what you're trying to do…"

That last comment caught Amy a little off guard and she blinked hard. By the way he said it, he'd just confessed to her that he cared about being a part of this project. He had just told her that he really was trying. For whatever reason, that surprised her the most. Maybe this endeavor wouldn't be so fruitless as Commander Tower said it would be.

"It's okay, Zero. You're still learning, still growing. I mean, it has only been a couple of months. The dry monsoon season is almost over. No one expected you to be redeemed overnight."

As always, she was always so considerate of the jackal. Part of Zero wondered if she was this way out of habit or if it was forced in some way… Though he absolutely did not deserve the kindness she expressed, he appreciated it somewhat even though he would never admit it openly to her. He still believed that being so trusting to someone like him so quickly would most definitely get a Mobian killed. Despite everything he has done, Amy still wanted to help him, change him. Befriend him. As much as he hated to admit it, she was getting closer and closer to reaching the latter. He could not quite put his finger on it, but the hedgehog made him want to change and be better.

Maybe she has this effect on everyone she met. Perhaps they were already… friends? Being around another person for an extended period of time had a habit of making even the hardest beings soft.

Amy smiled at Zero, having watched his expression soften at her words. He was making such great progress in such a short amount of time. At this rate, they should be back home in no time. Amy wasn't even sure how GUN could document their progress, or even if they were at all? She could never be certain. All she knew was that she missed her own bed… and her friends… her family… She could not wait for the day where she could go home and just be herself again. Noticing that she had been silent a tad too long, she cleared her throat.

"But like I said before," Amy continued. "You don't have to come with me this time. I won't ask it of you."

"Thanks," the canine replied. "Besides, I think I might want to go to the river today."

"Ooh, that'd be nice. You know I'll be gone 'til around sunset. Do you need anything from the marketplace?"

"Nah." His answer was almost instantaneous like he had been expecting her to ask that question.

"Okay! Well, just hold the fort down while I'm gone. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Zero heard her giggle at that last statement, a small smile started to appear on his lips. He stopped it as soon as he realized, giving the hedgehog a small nod instead; this place was making him soft. With that, Amy grabbed her pack and headed off on the trail towards the village that housed the marketplace.

The jackal sat in silence for a while, relishing in it. Amy was… good company but she just talked way too much for his liking; always asking questions and the like. Zero rather enjoyed the quiet when she was not around, as harsh as it sounded. Not that he really cared about how rude it seemed. They weren't actually friends, right? The longer he sat, the more Zero questioned everything he was doing with his life right now. Roughly three months ago, he was so bound and determined to take over and destroy the entire world. He wanted to make nations bend before his will, to watch the world crumble. Now he wasn't sure what he wanted anymore and was no closer to figuring it out.

It frustrated him to no end.

A small voice in the furthest depths of his mind wondered how much different his life could have been in Amy's shoes, what kind of person he could have been. Living in the desert a majority of his life, he was always trying to survive; he was always struggling. The jackal envied Amy's upbringing, wishing that he had had the same opportunities she had. If he had, maybe he could have been the Mobian that the hedgehog was trying so hard to mold him to be. Zero suddenly growled and broke himself out of his self-pity. There was no sense in wondering what-could-have-been when he should be focusing on completing this stupid mission so he could return to his past life; whether he wanted to return to Shamar or go back to villainy, he wasn't really sure.

Grabbing a pole, two buckets, a net, and some bait, Zero made his way to the shoreline to a fishing spot that Amy had snagged. The canine did enjoy going to the beach and feeling the sand between his toes... but that was as far as his love for sand went. He and Amy now only wore their shoes when they needed to travel far off distances as to save on wear and tear. The jackal could have never imagined that sand could be this inviting and soothing to the touch, as he had only ever encountered the type of terrain that was scorching hot and left blisters on your skin the second it was touched by an ungloved, or bare-footed, extremity.

That being said, he still hated the feeling of it in his fur. He will never be able to forget the sandstorms that plagued his previous homeland.

Stepping into a shaded area, he set up the little spot Amy claimed to be a "gold mine". It was a humble tidepool close to the wall of a cliff, brilliantly shaded by an overhanging tree coming out of said cliff; he remembered Amy calling the tree a weeping willow. The sea breeze was lacing itself through the willow branches, flickies were chittering nearby, and the waves rhythmically crashed against the rocks on the shoreline. To many, this would seem like a complete and utter paradise. To Zero the Jackal, however, all these sounds were fundamentally annoying. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

The jackal slowly sat down on a rock that bordered the tidepool, careful not to spook his prey. He eyed the group of crabs skittering about beneath the surface of the water, bringing his net up behind him. Swiftly, he slapped the net into the water and scooped up a handful of the shellfish. Not as many as he was hoping, his impatient timing was to blame. He preceded to then put his catch into one of the buckets that he had brought and then grabbed his fishing rod, baiting it and casting it out as far as he possibly could. Now it turned into a waiting game, waiting for the fish to come, waiting for them to fall for the bait, waiting for them to bite. The patience he had to exert was really getting to him. He would much rather hunt for game and find them, not let the prey find him; there was just no fun in it.

A tug on the line brought the canine out of his stupor. Zero's ears perked up, and then the bobber went underwater. He then brought the fish to shore, eying it over. It was a fair-sized flounder, so he put it into the second bucket he brought, keeping the crabs and fish separated. He repeated this until he caught what he really wanted, a red snapper. Amy did not care for the taste of this fish but hey, that was more for the jackal. By the time Zero had finished, the sun was sinking lower and lower into the horizon, telling him the Amy would be back before too much longer. The jackal gathered his fishing gear and made the trek back to the hut, putting everything up in its proper place before starting on his next expedition: going to the river to bathe.

Anytime the hedgehog was not around, Zero took it as his chance to take a bath. He did not feel comfortable washing around Amy, it made him feel too exposed; it made him feel too vulnerable. He supposed it was a side effect of the life he used to live. No matter how many times he told himself that he didn't have to live that way anymore, old habits die hard. Amy was always considerate of his wishes and never asked why he did not like to be accompanied when he went out alone. She blindly trusted him, once more making his stomach twist at the thought. He wanted to scold her for her being so naïve, much like an older brother would. Zero hiked out, following the worn path to the river. He surveyed his surroundings, noticing many fresh new tracks all around. Maybe he should hunt soon, or at least set some traps out?

The canine could hear the rushing of the brook well before he reached it. The sudden flutter of wings made his ears twitch and swivel in all directions, keeping him aware of the vicinity and easing his tension. No matter how many times he came here, no matter how safe it was, the jackal stayed alert and on edge. He never relaxed, it seemed; as if the very instant he let his guard down, he would be attacked. Zero scolded himself and quickly rid his mind of the thought, making his way to a shallower part of the river. He dipped his foot into the water to test the temperature, knowing that it would be comfortable.

The jackal then slid into the water, careful not to make too much noise. Since this part of the river was rather shallow, a sandbank, Zero did not fear it. While it sounds embarrassing, the jackal had never learned how to swim. He let out a sigh, trying to make himself relax. He rinsed himself off the best he could, getting rid of the past few days' accumulations of dirt and grime. Sitting for much longer than he had initially planned, the sky began to bleed into red before he knew it. He picked up the faint sounds of far off humming, meaning that Amy was nearby. Cursing himself, the jackal dragged himself out of the water and shook off the excess.

Zero swiftly made his way back to the hut, catching a glimpse of the hedgehog going into the hut. He made his way across the clearing and onto the deck and she met the canine at the door. She had traded goods to get supplies such as more fishing gear, a first aid kit, fabric, a sewing kit, and some… lady items. He grimaced at the sight of them, knowing exactly what they were and what their purpose served. He even saw that she was somehow able to acquire… towels? Why on Mobius would they need towels in the coming future? He decided to keep his mouth shut and trusted that she had a plan for them.

"Hey Zee," Amy exclaimed happily when she became aware of his looming presence. The canine's fur bristled, as he did not too much care for the nickname that she had recently started to call him. Maybe he would start calling her Amelia again to piss her off, though he quickly thought better of it since she could pull that hammer of hers out of literal thin air.

"Hello…" was Zero's solemn reply, frustrated that her arrival disrupted his bath. Amy picked up on his irritation and bit the inside of her cheek before responding again.

"How was your day," she prodded gently, afraid to step on the canine's toes. That was a first.

"Went fishing and then took a bath, nothing too exciting." Amy perked up and then offered a towel to Zero.

"That's what I got these for! So, we don't get cold and sick afterward. I thought it was a good idea."

The jackal took it from her and threw it around his neck where his scarf used to reside. "Thanks."

The beaming smile now adorning her face would melt the hearts of most Mobians but Zero was not most Mobians. Amy watched him roll his eye though that did not hamper her mood. The jackal turned on his heels and walked off the deck, Amy supposed he was going to begin cleaning the fish while there was still light outside. The hedgehog took that as her cue to start a fire. Just as she suspected, her jackal companion was at his little work station gutting his quarry.

The pair just rolled through the motions and soon enough, the sun had finally sunk beyond the blue horizon, and the two were silently enjoying their dinner. Zero knew that this silence would not last long as Amy could not keep her mouth shut any longer than five minutes; dinner time was always when she asked her question He was always so wary of this time since he did not know what she was going to ask but she got braver and braver each night when asking him about his life. By how she shifted and squirmed in her seat, he knew that tonight she was really gonna push him to his limits.

"So…" The jackal heard her start. Here we go, he thought to himself. Zero could already sense exactly what she was going to ask. She was extremely predictable.

"I've been meaning to ask you Zee… Why did you even begin working for Eggman in the first place?" And there it was, it was only a matter of time before she asked. The canine was silent for some time before sharing his answer.

"I thought it was the only way to save my squadron. The Doctor had us cornered after we tried infiltrating his base. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Squadron? You were part of a group? That's cool! Where are they now?" The fur on Zero's back rose in anger, remembering the horrifying memory he was about to layout.

"I'm not sure this might be something you'd want to hear right now," Zero spoke solemnly. "Trust me on this one."

"I would," she retorted but trailed off. It took some time for her to catch her bearings. "I would like to know. I can handle it. If you want to talk about it, I am ready to hear it."

Zero could not believe he was about to lay this memory out. All the pain that he has been trying to deal with, to forget… was all about to return to surface-level. By the look on Amy's face, he was already unnerving her with his breathing and facial expressions.

"They were slaughtered by one of your friends… Shadow the Hedgehog." He let out a savage growl as he uttered the name, not even attempting to stop himself. The hedgehog moved uncomfortably in her seat once more, terrified of where this conversation might lead. Zero could only assume that no one had ever told her about anything before the war, she just had to fight in it. Though, he did not mean to make her uncomfortable.

If Amy was to understand the canine in the way she was trying so hard to, she had to know about this; she had to know what happened.

"After we agreed to work with the Doctor, he hired my squad and I as just that: hired guns. To be a part of a huge project he was working on. My squad went out to patrol the lab in Mystic Jungle one night. That was all it took. Shadow came in and destroyed the Doctor's facility… and my squad along with it. I didn't realize exactly what had happened until much later when I found their bodies… I buried them myself…"

Amy stayed silent after his last sentence, wondering if he would continue. Even if he didn't, she would not have known what to say anyway. She knew Shadow was capable of killing others. Hell, he had many times before. But it was only for a good reason: to protect the greater good. She dared not speak her mind though, not wanting to push Zero completely over the edge. She felt as if she had already gone too far already.

After a short time, the jackal stood up and dumped his half-eaten dinner into the fire. He then sauntered into the hut. She heard a shuffling inside as he lied down on the couch. The hedgehog sighed, upset with herself for having such a big mouth. She should have known better than to ask questions rather than him telling her about himself by himself. Letting the fire burn a little longer, she continued to beat herself up over the whole situation, thinking about other ways she could have possibly avoided it altogether.

The fire died down after what felt like hours later. It might have been, she didn't really know; time was dead here. She quietly made her way into the hut as well, making her way to her room. She grabbed the sleeping clothes she had lied out on the pillow and went around a corner to change so Zero could not look at her, although she knew he wouldn't have. The hedgehog tip-toed across the floor, careful to miss the creakiest of the floorboards. She made it over to her bed and climbed into it, cringing at the sound of the springs groaning inside.

She hesitantly looked over to the living area where Zero resided, knowing that he was not yet asleep. That didn't matter to her since she knew that she was disturbing him anyways. Her ears flattened against her head. She could only imagine what might be swirling around in that mind of his…

"Good night, Zero…" Amy said as softly as she could, not wanting to anger him further. She always told him good night, even if he did not always return the sentiment. However, this was not one of those nights. Even amongst the fuss of the nightlife outside, she still heard him loud and clear.

"Good night… Rose…"


	5. Chapter 5: Distant Memory

Another flashback chapter. These will make a lot more sense later on if you all stick around, I promise. And to Jakob, yes this is just a simple redemption story. The only antagonist is Infinite's innermost demons.

* * *

A young jackal stared off into the night sky perched on a boulder, getting lost in counting the stars above. He surveyed the surrounding area, taking note of his sleeping squadmates. Zero had taken the first watch of the night, and considering that he wasn't all that tired, he planned on keeping watch all night. Taking his sword, the jackal stoked the fire and added a couple more sticks into it to keep it going. The desert stayed in the negatives once the sun went down, Zero took another glance over to make sure his squad was tightly bundled up.

He shook his head and reminded himself that they were not his squad… yet. Right now, he just stood as a leader-in-training as the current leader of Squad Jackal was stepping down due to… familial matters. Zero turned to look at Blade and his mate sleeping soundly underneath their sleeping bag, the pair were curled around their few month-old pup. From the limited knowledge Zero had on babies, the pup was growing at a normal pace and was as healthy as he could be. Blade was a good father, Zero was glad he decided to step down to focus on his family.

Ear swiveling towards a soft sound, the heterochromous jackal could hear a faint whimpering coming from between the mated pair. The small pup's little snout was poking out from under the sleeping bag, slowly making his way out of it. Zero grimaced when he heard the pup begin to whimper, starting to cry. Making a split-second decision, Zero quickly came over and scooped up the kit so he would not wake anyone up. Sitting close by to Blade and his mate, Zero held the baby. Two mismatched eyes blinked hard. Zero did not know anything about babies, why the hell did he think this was a good idea?

The pup wasn't complaining, he snuggled right into the older jackal's chest, happy to be held. Suddenly feeling the baby shiver, Zero instinctively wrapped a protective arm around him and used the scarf around his own neck to shield the pup from Shamar's cold nightly winds. The older canine's panic slowly subsided as he finally realized that this wasn't so bad, he didn't even know what he was so worried about in the first place. It honestly… felt kind of nice. You can't be a hard-ass all the time, sometimes you've got to take it slow, show a little compassion. For Zero, that was easier said than done but maybe one day he could learn to simmer down.

Without much thought, he began to hum a light tune. The baby's squirming lessened, and he became enamored by the melody he was hearing. Smiling softly, Zero continued his humming and started to rock the child as he once saw the pup's mother do. Whether it was the rocking or the humming that finally did him in, the kit's eyes fluttered and slowly fell, soft breathing following suit.

Once Zero knew that the pup had fallen back asleep, he gently swaddled him in the scarf and carefully tucked him back between his parents. Climbing back onto the boulder, the jackal let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, sighing hard. He felt strange to be without his scarf, the mangled scars on his neck now in full view. While it made Zero incredibly uncomfortable, he told himself that the kit might have needed it more.

Besides, it was only for a night. He could deal with it until dawn.

Holding the kit gave Zero such a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. He had never thought much about his future beyond the survival of his squad. The jackal was only 15, much too young to be contemplating on having a family. However, here he was thinking about it anyways. For the remainder of his night watch, that was the only thing on his mind; whether or not he would ever find a soul on this planet that could love him despite his flaws, someone that he could give his heart to ad not have it literally ripped out of his chest. If he were to pursue that here and now in the "profession" he was in, that would surely be his fate.

A soft voice came from far away and Zero snapped back to reality. Amy was waving at him from her seat adjacent to him. She was holding back a giggle, pointing below.

Looking down, the canine saw that he had dropped his fish dinner into the gritty Adabat sand. He was so lost in his head and his memories that he forgot that he was even eating. To think, him reminiscing about his past started all because he himself asked Amy if she had any siblings back home.

"So," the hedgehog prodded. "What were you thinking so hard about? You literally looked like you were lost in space." The jackal shrugged, he dared not tell Amy about his softness towards children. She may deem it a weakness or something of the sort, he just didn't want to deal with it right now.

"It's not of any importance," he replied, his voice factual and monotone. "We do have more fish, right?"


	6. Chapter 6: Swimming Lessons

I arise from the dead. I was sick last week (not corona lmao I swear). And now I am considered an essential worker so work has been kicking my ass as well.  
Sorry that you have all had to wait two weeks for this chapter, I hope it is worth your while!

\- Sue

* * *

Amy awoke a little later than she had wanted to. Groggily sitting up, she let the scent of freshly cooked porridge fill her nose. The urchin thought that Zero was kidding the other day when he said he wanted to take a crack at cooking, namely the wild berry porridge that Amy herself makes. Seeing her make it so many times, it should come easy to the jackal. Amy changed from her sleeping clothes, making note that she needed to wash both sets of clothing. She then ventured out of her room and to the exit, stopping once she reached the threshold.

The hedgehog could hear a deep, velvety voice singing nearby. It couldn't possibly be…

Peeking around the doorway towards the pair's campsite, she saw Zero stoking the fire. He was singing a tune that was familiar to her, Amy just couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Putting the fire stick down, he then began to stir the contents in his small cauldron hanging from the spit, singing a little louder. The early morning mist aided in the aesthetic Zero was expressing, his voice sounded as if it had come from an old black-and-white film.

Clearing her throat, Amy gently made her presence known. The canine quickly whipped around to face her, embarrassment washing over him. That made the heroine feel a tinge of regret, she didn't mean to make him feel bad for his caroling. Maybe she should have just left him be.

"G-Good morning Amy," Zero stuttered, trying to break away from his mortification. "I uh… made breakfast..." The hedgehog gave him a warm smile, trying to assure him that it was alright.

"I smelled it when I woke up. It smells great!"

"The scent could be deceiving, I want you to taste it first. I trust your judgment, you're the one that normally cooks this stuff."

"Of course, I'll try it, Zee." Grabbing a small bowl that she had acquired from the marketplace, Zero gave her a spoonful of the porridge. Taking a bite into her mouth, Amy melted. She could tell that Zero had put more berries than she normally did, making the porridge taste so much sweeter; she honestly preferred it this way. Noting her expressions, the jackal could tell that Amy was enjoying it and it made his chest swell with pride.

"I take it that you… like it?" Amy sputtered a bit, attempting to finish chewing before she spoke again.

"Absolutely! It tastes really great for your first time, you should definitely be proud."

And he did feel proud, he normally cooked meats and the like; he had never tried _making_ anything.

"As a matter of fact," Amy continued, drawing back Zero's attention. "I think I am going to have another bowl after this one. You should eat too, I thought we would relax on the beach today since we've gotten ahead of all of our chores."

"That sounds… nice." The canine gulped hard, still fearful of being so close to the ocean being as he still could not swim.

* * *

Sitting on the beach so late in the day was not a sound idea if you sported black fur. Even under the shade, it was practically unbearable. The morning coolness had vanished, and the jackal was now drenched in sweat, even perspiring in places that he didn't even know could sweat. He felt absolutely disgusting, how could anyone possibly like this shit? He looked over to his right and glared at the only Mobian who possibly could. Amy was managing to enjoy the sunlight despite his silent cursing, lying on the towel that she had gotten from the marketplace some weeks ago. The hedgehog was basking in the sun, soaking up its rays. She looked peaceful, content even. This was a drastic change from the bossy attitude she normally expressed.

Zero looked out to the sea, mesmerized by the crashing waves. He had an almost overwhelming desire to plunge into the water, growling as he reminded himself once again that he could not swim. Taking a drink from his canteen, he watched the hedgehog roll onto her stomach. After a short time, she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Are you okay," Amy questioned, eyes soft. Zero could not tell if this was from the sun in her eyes or from concern. Honestly, it could be both. "You haven't really said anything since this morning."

"This just… isn't for me," the jackal grumbled, panting under the willow. Amy frowned hard at him.

"I know what your answer is going to be but… would you like to swim?" The hedgehog heard a sarcastic snort come from deep within Zero's chest. She had heard that before.

"Absolutely not." It came off as cold and hurtful as it usually did.

She hated it when he got like this. When he started feeling upset or scared, he became very rude and condescending. It must be some sort of coping mechanism he developed, though sometimes he would become physically defensive. Despite that, Amy decided to press further. She was not going to let him get the best of her this time, the two have gotten physical once before and she was not afraid to do it again. While they haven't fought in months, she would not hesitate to protect herself if he should become confrontational.

"You can't stay afraid of the water forever, Zero." That struck a nerve deep inside him. He wasn't truly afraid of water… was he? It sounded so ridiculous the more he thought about it. A former mercenary being afraid of something as trivial as water. Perking up, the canine now took Amy's words as a challenge; he pushed down his desire to fight. Despite his past life, fighting never really seemed to solve his problems like he used to think it did. But here he was being defensive anyways, he really hated when he got like this but old habits die hard.

"I'm not afraid," Zero retorted after his brief contemplation, standing to his feet. Amy was skeptical, telling herself that this will most definitely be an interesting afternoon.

"If that's so, go back to the hut and put on those swimming trunks I made for you." A low, rumbly growl escaped his chest.

"I'd rather not."

"I would be heartbroken if you didn't wear them at least once during our time here. Now seems like a great time to break them in since you're being a grump right now." Zero scowled at the smug look on her face.

"Is that supposed to just make me suddenly care about your feelings?" The hedgehog's smirk did not waive.

"Yes." Another growl and Zero made the trek back to the shack to change, defeated. The hedgehog had sewn up a bathing suit for herself, the one she was sporting now, a few days ago. She had made the jackal some swim shorts with the remaining fabric. Amy had been tickled pink, no pun intended when she told Zero that they now had matching swimsuits and that she could not wait for the pair to try them out.

Going to the chest that the jackal had claimed for himself, he opened it and pulled the trunks out of it. Sighing, Zero begrudgingly made his way back to the beach.

"This is so stupid," the canine spoke as soon as Amy came into view again. "It's counterproductive, I don't wear clothes on the regular like you do." She had not yet turned to see him in the shorts, focusing on walking towards the shoreline.

"You're going to wear it because you care, somewhere deep inside that black, little heart of yours," Amy called back at him, ignoring his grumbles. She glanced at him. "They do look good on you though."

"Ugh…" Once again, she was proving to him that she was very mature to be almost fifteen-years-old. She somehow knew that he wasn't going to fight back this time. Amy was probably the only Mobian in the Resistance that had any brain cells, though Zero would never compliment her like that out loud. Her head was already as big enough as it was.

Making his way to the water, he looked out on the horizon. The sun had now sunken lower into the sky, making the temperature a little more bearable, at least as far as Zero was concerned. A flash of pink, a gust of wind, and a loud splash, Amy came whizzing past the jackal and dove into the water, a toothy grin splitting her muzzle. The canine just looked at her with a stare of utmost disgust.

Or was it perhaps… jealousy?

He would never admit it, but his heart was almost pounding out of his chest. Zero was trying to keep the speed of his breathing in check, but it was to no avail. The jackal stood as still as a statue, just staring at the water. Did he really want to do this? Could he even do this? Something as simple as swimming? Was it too late to turn back? The more he thought, the more anxious he became. The canine felt the walls Amy had so desperately torn down building back up. A voice snapped his out of his daze, of course, it was hers.

"You can do this, it's just water." She wanted him to get in the water so badly. He was already braver than Sonic was when she had tried to teach the blue hedgehog to swim. The heroine watched her friend eye the waves, seeing the fearful look on his face as clear as day. Amy certainly did not want to force him to do this, but she knew that he really wanted to. Though she didn't know exactly why he did, she could just feel it; she was sensing it somehow.

The jackal swallowed the lump in his throat and took a couple steps forward, stopping where wet and dry sand meet. Amy exited the water, making her way over to Zero. She extended a hand out to him once she reached him. The canine was almost in shock, this was all becoming too much for him. He had taken over cities, destroyed countries, and had almost succeeded in taking over the entire world. Why was swimming so difficult for him to accomplish? His ears twitched as he heard her speak again.

"I'll help you…" She spoke softly, understanding how this must feel. Amy was surprised when Zero took her hand and nodded.

Slowly but surely, the two went further out into the sea. The jackal jerked slightly every time the waves hit his body, his breathing completely stopping once they reached knee-deep water. Zero felt a gentle squeeze around his hand, coming from the young girl he once upon a time thought of as his enemy. He could hardly believe that she was helping him conquer one of his greatest fears. He regretted giving her such a hard time earlier. If he was not so prideful, he would tell her how much he appreciated her.

"Zee, you know you don't have to do this, right," Amy spoke, breaking Zero out of his thoughts. "I really don't want you forcing yourself to do this if you aren't truly ready." The urchin heard his sigh, breath shaky.

"It's not that I want to," he started, trailing off. "I have to."

"You… have to?" If Amy wasn't concerned before, she definitely was now. What made him think he had to do this? To make himself conquer such a great fear, to plague himself with so much anxiety?

"Actually I… I had a dream. It felt like a premonition. I saw you drowning, I couldn't save you. I couldn't save you because I couldn't swim… I didn't want to tell you…"

Zero hated the way that sounded, especially after seeing the reaction she gave him. One of uncertainty and complete confusion. She must realize that he does worry about her safety, whether or not he actually told her. After living with someone for so long, they begin to grow on you. She knows that, right? He would hate to have to explain his very complicated feelings he had for her… to her. That and this whole swimming situation would be enough for him to completely break into a psychotic mess. The hedgehog sighed, sensing his panic once more.

"What if I promised you that I won't drown," the hedgehog asked with a sliver of doubt. Zero was quick to answer.

"You can't know for sure… So, I want to be prepared. Even if it kills me instead."

"Okay, okay," the hedgehog said whilst waving her hands. "Let's stop being so morbid. Neither of us are going to drown." If Amy didn't know better, she would have sworn she saw a genuine smile form on her companion's lips.

"Alright, Rose."

Amy just shook her head and brought the jackal a little further out, almost belly deep. He suddenly clung to her, pulling her flush against his body. The hedgehog couldn't practically hear his heart beating out of his chest, she could definitely feel it. His frame shook with anxiety and fear, she could not tell if he really wanted to do this but there was no use in convincing him not to. Zero feared that she would drown? A dream pushed him to do this? She wondered if her teasing and prodding earlier might have actually led him to go through with this, maybe she could convince him to stop?

Their hands were still clasped together so she gave Zero's a gentle squeeze, feebly hoping that it would help calm his nerves. He immediately returned the gesture, taking in a deep breath. This whole ordeal gave Amy déjà vu, remembering how dramatic Sonic was when she tried teaching him how to swim. Zero was by far a better student than Sonic ever was; the blue hero was never this brave when it came to water. Only on occasion, she silently corrected herself. Suddenly, without Amy having to lead, Zero let go of her hand and ventured further into the water, now belly deep.

"Z-Zero," Amy squeaked loudly, desperately trying to grab for him, scared that he would drown. Oh, the irony. However, the jackal found her hand before she found his. His chest was heaving, his fur bristled slightly. Despite that, laughter was erupting from somewhere deep within him.

"You should have seen the look on your face," he chuckled out. Amy let out a high-pitched growl, surprising the canine. She splashed him, the saltwater getting into his eyes.

"Ow," Zero continued laughing, wiping his face as best he could. "Well, that was rude."

"RUDE!? Are you kidding me!? You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!" Zero laughed even harder, snorting as he did so. That was the first time he had ever heard her utter such a word. He kind of liked it and wondered what else he could do to evoke such words to arise again.

"I thought only I said shit like that?"

"Well, you scared me!" She pouted at him, crossing her arms. Her expression softened shortly after. "Well… how do you like it?"

"I'll admit that it isn't that bad. I don't know what I was afraid of to be quite honest with you."

With that, the pair spent the rest of the afternoon in the water. Amy taught Zero how to doggy paddle and to float on his back. The latter sparked more anxiety within him than he let on, but he was quick to overcome it, surprising both of them. By the end of the day, Amy was a lovely shade of light red, though it didn't hurt. Despite Amy's fair skin, she was never one to really get sunburned. Zero's skin was also irritated, but only on the bridge of his nose and tips of his ears. The jackal grew up in the desert most of his life, it was no wonder that he physically could not get sunburnt anymore.

After the sun had set and they had had their dinner, the two sat in comfortable silence in their respective beds, relishing in today's past events. Needless to say, both were feeling an overwhelming sense of pride. Amy taught her friend to swim and Zero has actually enjoyed it. Nothing could have made her happier. She knew he felt the same. Sighing softly, Amy broke the stillness, her voice was almost a whisper. It easily carried through the hut and to Zero's highly sensitive ears.

"I am really proud of you, Zee."

"I'm proud of me too," Zero answered gruffly, breaking into a yawn.

"You must be. That took a lot of guts. You… You are really brave…" A compliment? From Amy? The jackal did not really know how to respond.

"Uh… thanks." What else was he supposed to say? He felt stupid, he could have easily said something with a little more zing to it, even though that wasn't how he normally answered things. She would suspect something. Why was he even thinking so much about it? The logical side of his brain knew that Amy was not thinking about this as hard as he was, even if she was thinking about it at all.

"You're welcome, Zee." She yawned, oblivious to his panic. "Good night."

"Night, Rose," the jackal replied with an audible smile in his voice. With a little creak of her bed, the sound of her small frame turning onto her back, she fell into a deep sleep.

Zero stayed up for what felt like hours, thinking over the many thoughts that were always swirling in his mind. He listened to Amy's soft breathing as well. He could almost see her chest rise and fall with each breath she took, calming him in ways he could never express. He didn't have it in his heart to tell his companion that she snored a little bit in her sleep. One, that was creepy, and two, he felt that it was only for him to know. Although he did not know why he felt that way.

If he was being honest with himself, he didn't understand the way he felt about anything anymore. Being here on this stupid island in this stupid hut, he has changed; he's grown softer. Zero knew that his changes hadn't gone unnoticed by Amy either. According to the heroine's calendar that she had obtained at the marketplace, it had been four and a half months into exile, with no end in sight. They could be here for years and the pair would have no way of knowing for sure. He knew that G.U.N. would never contact them in any way, even if they ever would at all. Who was he kidding, of course, they wouldn't?

They had gotten rid of 'Infinite' just like he heard them discussing one day. They put Zero on someone else's shoulders so they didn't have to dirty their hands of his disposal, which most certainly would have been his death. The jackal would always be grateful for what Amy has done for him, all that she had sacrificed for him.

Despite being practically stranded here with her, Zero felt that he could stay here with Amy until the day he croaked. It made his chest swell with an unfamiliar sensation and he cursed under his breath. He wished he could tell Amy how he felt, as confused as he was about his own feelings. Nothing made sense anymore, these new feelings arising in him were no help either. He found himself having more questions than answers.

The jackal dwelled and dwelled on his thoughts until he couldn't any longer, falling into a restless and dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: Soft

Thank you all for the reviews and follows thus far!  
This story is looking to be roughly 14 or 15 chapters long?

I'm almost done writing them all, stay tuned!

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All Zero could smell was the overpowering aroma of the flowers that surrounded him; roses to be exact. The atmosphere was so serene, though he could not place why. As he looked around, he saw that he was surrounded by many different Mobians, all eyes on the jackal. Each face was one of a Resistance member, but no one had any expression of malice; their expressions were ones of softness and peace. Zero saw Sonic first, then his eyes fell on none other than the accursed Shadow the Hedgehog. For some odd reason, Zero could not find any anger in his heart. It was as if he and Shadow's history did not matter anymore. This notion deeply disturbed the canine, for he could not understand why.

They were all seated outside in what looked to be a very charming meadow. There was a tent shading the crowd, Zero included, and there were roses and daisies adorning every crack and crevice of the venue. Pink sheer curtains streamed down like a waterfall, bordering the tent's opening furthest to the back. Zero then noticed that there was a silhouette just outside of the tent, a female he realized. Music began to fill the jackal's ears and the ocean of faces then turned to look at the pavilion's opening as well.

The female figure then started her walk, making her way towards the tent's opening. The figure standing in the doorway makes Zero's heart stop. Amy Rose held a bouquet of roses and daisies, much like the flowers decorating the pavilion. She seemed… older? The urchin was donning an elegant cream-colored gown, a red sash wrapped around her middle, with black beads and red roses cascading down the skirt's train. The runway leading up to the jackal was also a deep red, white daisies scattered strategically down the path. This is a wedding, Zero realized. His and Amy's wedding by the looks of it. As the heroine began her waltz towards Zero, the world faded around him.

The canine jolted awake, propping himself up on his elbow. He rubbed his good eye and let the dream he had just had to flood his thoughts; he had been having a vast number of dreams as of late, this one being the most… pleasant. His and Amy's… wedding? How could he possibly dream of such an event, was the heat of the day getting to him? It made his skin crawl, though not in disgust, as his flushed cheeks told him that much. If anything, Zero was rather embarrassed. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He stood up and quietly walked over to the threshold that opened to Amy's room, Zero felt the need to check on her. As his eyes adjusted to the dimly moonlit room, he saw that Amy was not in her bed.

Where did she go? How late is it? Is she okay?

Sighing, Zero stood up to his feet, taking another look at her bunk. He saw that her boots still sat beneath the bed frame, telling the canine that she had not gone far. By how to moon was set in the sky, the jackal knew it was very late. He became increasingly worried as to why Amy would be up this late. Zero made his way to the deck, not seeing her anywhere nearby. He looked down at the sand and noticed the fresh footprints leading down to the beach. They were the right size to be Amy's, so he followed them.

They led him to the pier, seeing Amy's moonlit shape just at the very end. A sharp sob made the jackal's ears stand erect; Amy was crying. Zero did not hesitate to make his presence known.

"Rose," Zero gently questioned, voice laced with concern. The hedgehog visibly jumped, startled by her sudden audience. Her tear-stained cheeks and runny nose were enough to make the jackal's own heart hurt. What could possibly have started this episode? The jackal watched as a shudder rattled her small frame.

"H-hey, Zee," Amy replied after a short silence, a hiccup following shortly after. Her speech was strained, she had been crying for a while. She watched her friend as he knelt to sit down beside her. She roughly wiped her tears although more followed. Her lip quivered and soon enough, Amy was huddling into the jackal's chest, her sobbing continuing; Zero cleared his throat.

"Uh… What's the matter…?" Zero had never dealt with anything like this before, let alone see Amy in such a fragile state. He was at a complete loss at what to say or do, fearing that anything he might try would further pain her. Amy's body racked with hiccups and coughs before she eventually found her voice again.

"I wanna go home," the hedgehog started. "I miss my family… I miss my friends…"

That did it for Zero, proving that he really did not know what to do. He could not recall a time ever feeling sentimental over his squadmates; or anyone else for that matter. What could he possibly say to her? He knew nothing about her friends or family so telling her that they loved her would just seem empty. Zero could say that he is sorry for getting her into this mess? No, that would just make her angry. Maybe he didn't even need to say anything? Perhaps he could just be her crying shoulder? He remembered hearing that in a story once growing up. The jackal sighed and waited for Amy to speak again, which she never did. Swallowing hard, he decided to speak.

"Being here has probably taken its toll on you," Zero spoke before he could even begin to stop himself. The longer he stays on this miserable island, the more vulnerable he became. Lately, however, this change in him no longer frightened him the way it did some months ago. Though, he still did not truly understand why.

"I know that living here hasn't been the easiest, and I haven't made it easy either. I know you have been struggling, I've seen it. But… I just want you to know that even though you don't have your family and other friends… I'm here for you. I am here to be your friend as well."

At some point during his monologue, Amy's crying had ceased, minus the occasional sniffling. Zero took a moment to take in what he had said. He knew that every bit of it was true. Something deep inside him was once again embarrassed for displaying this level of openness, especially towards her. Hell, Zero was also anxious for not even trying to be subtle about any of his new blossoming feelings for Amy, it all just came out. Maybe she didn't even notice, perhaps she ignored him spilling out his heart's sappy confession. Amy sighed with a slight shudder.

"Thank you, Zee," she broke the silence, trailing off. "I… really needed to hear that…"

The pair just continued to sit out on the pier. As humiliating as it was for him, Zero began to hum a tune for his pink companion. His deep voice came as a lullaby of sorts, putting the urchin's mind at ease. Shortly, Amy had fallen asleep, still leaning into the canine's chest and arm. She was slowly starting to slide down lower, in danger of falling. As soon as he noticed, Zero quickly supported her with his free arm so he could avoid any awkward situations; or awkward for him, anyways.

Amy rustled a bit in her sleep and Zero hesitantly placed a gentle hand on her head, beginning to pet her. After a few strokes, she soothed back into her deep slumber. Zero looked down at her sleeping face, noticing just how peaceful she appeared in this state. Every hard edge of her face was soft now, no longer sporting her normal bossy and angry expression; one could even mistake her for actually being sweet.

A sudden throb of pain in Zero's lower back reminded him that the pair could not possibly stay out here all night. As gently as he possibly could, the jackal picked Amy up bridal style and made the trek back to the hut. On the brief excursion, Amy had decided to hold tightly onto the jackal, making it rather difficult when it came time to lie her down in her bed. Try as he might, her sleeping form would not budge without a fight.

It was obvious to Zero that she was a cuddler, that much was true. All Zero could do now was forcefully push her away, even if it might result in waking her. The jackal finally managed to pry her off him after a quiet, frustrating battle. He placed her down and pulled her blanket over her to shield her from the chill of the night air. As he turned to go to the couch, he heard Amy's bed creak, following that was the most pitiful sounding voice he had ever heard.

"Zee…" Amy's tired tone broke the silence, stopping Zero in his tracks.

"What is it," was the jackal's softly questioned. He did not want Amy to begin crying again.

"Can… Can you sleep with me…?" Zero's fur stood up on the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing in uneasiness. How could she ask him to do that? Did he not make himself clear the first day they got here that he did not want to do that, that he did not want to share a bed? Not that he was disconcerted by the idea, he was just… He just didn't want to.

"Rose," Zero started but was cut off.

"Please…" Amy practically begged. "I don't… wanna be alone…"

The canine could hear the longing in her tone, yearning for companionship. He mentally slapped himself, of course, she didn't want to be alone, that was what her entire episode consisted of. Zero felt a tinge of guilt, already having forgotten and put that behind him.

"I'm sorry for asking… I-I just…" Zero's ears twitched when he heard her sniffle, quickly jumping to the open space on the other side of the bed. He sighed, thinking that since this bed had so much room maybe he wouldn't even need to be so close to her?

"Just one night." He wanted to make that very clear. With a nod of her head, Amy clung to the jackal's body just as she had earlier. Zero growled lowly at the contact (the hedgehog ignored it) and he tried to get himself as comfortable as possible. Hell, with any luck, he would try and get himself to Amy's level of comfort. The urchin had nestled into his side, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She obviously did not believe in personal space. The canine tried to shimmy away, but it was to no avail; she had fallen asleep whilst clinging tightly to him.

Finally giving up on being free, he just let the situation take its course. This wouldn't last forever, Zero told himself over and over again. There wasn't much one could do for improving his current predicament, especially since the sleeping partner was a hedgehog with a death grip and spiky quills burrowing deep into his personal space.

Zero continued to pout about the whole ordeal, ignoring the fact that he did enjoy it… somewhat. He enjoyed Amy's company, and still enjoyed it even being pulled into this less than suitable circumstance. Zero pondered longer on that notion, knowing that he didn't make sense and sounded like a hypocrite. Everything confused him so much that he couldn't even tell himself whether he liked this shit or not. Maybe the sun had finally fried the last few brain cells he had left.

He looked down at the source of his problems. She was snuggled between his left arm, head resting on his shoulder. Her small frame rose and fell with soft breaths, snoring lightly as always; Zero ignored the fact that she was drooling. A sudden swell of pride flooded his chest. Maybe it was animalistic in a sense, but at this moment, he felt very protective of her. Not that she needed his protection, but the feeling did not waiver.

The longer he tried to deny his feelings, the more it ate him up inside. He knew what these feelings were, he just wanted to ignore them. Being "in love" was a trap for the foolish, it brings nothing but pain and misery. He had seen it for himself. However, he knew that he could not deny his sentiment for much longer but that doesn't mean he would not try. Amy was a smart girl, she would figure it out soon enough. Zero could sense that with the coming days, he would be tested. He would fall more in love with Amy the more this redemption period drew out, however long that would be.

But if he was being honest with himself, Zero did not mind how long it took.


	8. Chapter 8: Radio Static

Posting a slightly early update to make up for not posting last week. aaaand because the same thing that happened last Friday might happen tomorrow as well lmao, sorry folks. Only a few more chapters go now, Change of Heart is nearing its end. But don't worry, I have something else planned. ;]]

\- Sue

* * *

Static interrupted the still night air as Amy turned on her radio. The hedgehog had bartered for so long at the marketplace the other day, she did not want to leave without it. Amy came back to the hut with pride, pleased with her acquired item, showing it off quite proudly to Zero. The radio wasn't much to look at. It was rectangular in shape, white, and had a severely beat up antenna. Though that wasn't important to the heroine. What was most important about it was that it was battery operated, which was why Amy was so gung-ho on getting the stupid thing. The shop owner had given her a pack of batteries along with the radio, much to Amy's delight.

The jackal now eyed her as she played with the tuner, his ears swiveling as he listened to the static. Suddenly, a female's voice boomed from the unimpressive little contraption. Amy quickly scrambled to turn it down, giggling as she remembered she played with the volume knob earlier. Zero's fur that had been standing on end finally relaxed and smoothed down as he listened to the female's voice on the radio. She was introducing a band's newest hit single; Hysteria! at the Club they were called, Elated Ambitions the song was titled. One of the most peculiar tunes began to fill the canine's ears and he found himself entranced, his mind completely overtaken by the lyrics.

Amy smiled his way, watching the campfire dance across his face as he listened to the music intently in the diminishing sunlight. She caught her mind wandering, thinking how handsome he was in this moment. The dim light surrounding him, the fire lighting up his face, no hard lines in his expression, his lips slightly parted... She shook her head at that last thought, silently cursing herself. Looking back at him, she sighed. This was the most relaxed Amy had seen him in a while, except for when he slept. Zero gave Amy the impression that he had never heard music before. Maybe… he hasn't even danced before?

With that, Amy quickly shot up from her seat, breaking Zero from him trance. The heroine began moving to the beat of the song, swaying her hips and arms in sync, and practically hopping around. The canine flashed a toothy grin and it took everything he had in him not to burst out laughing. Without a second to waste, Amy grabbed Zero's wrists, unwillingly pulling him to his feet.

"A-Amy," he stammered, trying to sound angry but failed miserably.

"I saw you starting to laugh," she said with sternness. "Let's see you do any better."

Zero suddenly felt very small, not the big persona he externalized. He had never actually danced before; not even playfully or ironically with his squadmates. The jackal was at a complete loss for words, and actions. Since he would not move, Amy moved for him. The hedgehog danced with the grace of a swan… if the swan's wings had been broken and it was drowning. Amy danced until the song was over, it's joyful sound immediately being replaced by a generic pop song. The heroine groaned and turned the station, finding another playing classical, orchestrated music. She decided that this was suitable background music and then began helping Zero cook their fish dinner.

The pair's day had been majorly spent out in the forest foraging for berries, fishing, and swimming. Amy was planning on making wild berry porridge for dessert, one of the jackal's favorite foods since arriving in Adabat; roasted flickies were slowly becoming his new favorite. Foraging wasn't something Zero particularly enjoyed but at this point, he was happy to help Amy do literally anything. If she had even the slightest hint of his monumentally huge crush he now realized he had on her, she never let on. Maybe it's better this way, the jackal thought to himself, eyes slowly falling to the sand below his feet. He didn't want to possibly ruin what he and Amy had right now by telling her his feelings, he couldn't bare it if she decided that she didn't want to be his friend anymore.

Soon enough, their food was done, and Amy skewered their fish and hung a small pot on the rotisserie spit to cook the porridge, giving them each a bowl as soon as it was done cooking. Zero doesn't know how it happened but the two soon started making small talk as they ate. This quickly unfolded into other areas of conversational topics, namely… embarrassing stories.

"Okay, so I know this might sound silly," the heroine began, cheeks flushed red. "But when I was younger, I used to have the biggest crush on Sonic." She started yelling at Zero to shut up when he began laughing at her.

"Used to," the jackal questioned, chuckling. "I was still under the impression you still did. I mean, the Doctor used to talk about it. Often."

"Egghead talked about my crush?!" Amy practically shrieked. "That was none of his business to be sharing!" Zero only shrugged in reply, a smug grin on his face.

"Ugh! I bet he told you about the look-alikes too…?" The jackal cocked his head at that, ear erect, genuinely curious. He motioned for her to get on with it. Ugh… maybe she shouldn't have said anything.

"Oh… When I first met Shadow, I thought he was Sonic. And at the time, I was still deep in my crush for Sonic and always gave really strong hugs whenever I saw him so… I hugged Shad." She forced a laugh. "I did the same thing with Silver too."

"Wow, Amy. That is truly the most embarrassing thing I have ever heard."

"You're telling me!" There was not even a sliver of anger in her outburst, only amusement, and slight discomfort. "I mean, my crush has been gone for a while but… no one ever really let me live it down? It was just a harmless, girly crush; innocent even. But I was the topic of many conversations back at HQ…" The jackal's grin faded, and he was left saddened. To make it even, Zero decided to tell Amy some demeaning story of his own; one from his childhood.

"Growing up," he started, the hedgehog visibly perked up with intense interest. She scooted closer to him as he continued.

"When I was a pup, I had the biggest ears of all the other pups my age. I used to get picked on quite a bit until I finally grew into them… after 5 years." Amy practically roared with laughter and squeals.

"Aww! That's so adorable!"

"Yeah. They were big even for a jackal." Zero snickered, flexing his ears as he did so. By this point, Amy was sitting right next to him. Before he knew it, the hedgehog reached out a gentle hand to his face and began to scratch behind his ears.

"I bet you were so cute." The jackal stiffened, eyes fluttering. It took all his strength and will-power not to kick his leg and it still wasn't enough. Zero's left leg was beyond controlling as it patted the sand below, making Amy stop her pleasurable assault. The jackal stood straight up and quickly shot to his feet, clearing his throat.

"U-uh…" The canine did not know what to say to make this any less awkward, especially for him. Amy was trying to read his body language, not being able to sense if she had done something wrong. She decided she should apologize anyways, head hanging low.

"Sorry, Zee…" Amy suddenly had a solemn tone, the jackal's ear picked it up with ease.

"Rose, no," he quickly replied. She did not look at him, fearing that she would meet an angry face. Zero placed a kind hand under her chin, slowly raising it to have her look him in the eyes.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong." Zero lowered his eyelids, a sly grin splitting his muzzle. "It's not like I didn't enjoy it."

The canine then began to tickle under her chin, mindful of his claws as he pulled away from her. She giggled and nodded at him, sighing with relief knowing that she didn't upset him. Still, she should have asked at least. Wanting to move on from the incident, Amy turned the classical channel on the radio to begin the pair's newfound bedtime ritual. The night Amy had gotten the radio, she kept changing channels until one, in particular, struck her fancy. Zero had soon found out why. A raspy, deep male voice had caught her attention on one of the frequencies, it was none other than Vector the Crocodile. Zero had been watching her while she played around with the tuner, witnessing how her face lit up to hear one of her Resistance friends. From that night on, Amy wanted to listen to the talk show every evening.

Vector's broadcast covered everything from the time to world news; he even had the periodical special guest appearances on his show. Amy did not care what he discussed, she just enjoyed having a piece of home… at her home. She never thought in a million years that she could call this place home. And Zero… he had come so far. She would even go as far as to say that they were best friends, despite whatever her canine companion had to say about the matter. However, that was nothing new to her. Amy knew that he cared about her and she cared about him too; she was just more open about showing it than he was. Zero was always trying to hide his true intentions behind his unwelcoming demeanor and isolative tendencies.

As Vector's talk show came to an end an hour later, he wished all his listeners a good night and thanked them for tuning in. Amy always answered, no matter how strange it would be to some. Zero found it endearing to hear, part of him wishing the reptile could somehow hear Amy all these odd miles away from Empire City.

Zero put out the fire as Amy cleaned off the rotisserie spit and they both helped each other clean the dishware that was used. As soon as all the night's chores were completed, the two were now ready to head off to bed. They each entered the shack, Amy stopped at the threshold leading into the bedroom, marking another day off of her calendar. Almost nine and a half months they had been here together. It wasn't like Amy wasn't happy here, but she really did miss her friends and family back home. The heroine could not wait to reintroduce everyone to "Infinite".

Zero curled up on the couch, having not slept with Amy since the night she cried herself to sleep. It was the most restful sleep he had gotten since their arrival, but he just did not feel comfortable… sleeping with Amy. Perhaps he was just too prideful, he thought. He knew that Amy hated that he slept on the uncomfortable bunk and was more than willing to share the bed, being it was more than big enough for the two of them. The jackal did not care, nothing was going to change his mind. Nothing.

His ears twitched as he heard Amy shuffle her way through the darkness to her bed. She had already changed into her nightclothes while Zero had been lost inside his head. The springs creaked and groaned as she crawled under the blanket, snuggling into her pillow. After a time, the hedgehog broke the stillness of the night.

"Hey Zee," she started, he grunted in response. "When do you think we'll be able to go back home?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"I wasn't expecting you to know or give me an answer, I just… can't wait until everyone can be reintroduced to you; to Zero. You aren't the same Mobian you were before." Zero huffed out a soft chuckle.

"If you think so, Rose."

"Oh, I know so, Zee." She yawned then. The jackal smiled.

"Get some rest, Rose. It's no use losing sleepover." The hedgehog yawned once more, grunting in agreement. She stretched, curled into a ball, and was out like a light; the jackal was soon to follow.


	9. Chapter 9: Old Wounds

Abuse trigger warning ahead, you have been warned.  
This chapter has meaning, I promise. It isn't all for nothing.

\- Sue

* * *

Zero felt the blood running down his back again, he has disturbed an old scab on his neck. The chain wasn't making the pain any better either. The jackal turned to face a much older canine passed out on the couch, his father Ace. He had been drinking (again) and felt that Zero needed to be punished (again). The young boy never did anything that his father accused him of doing but he never listened. Zero knew that he only did this because he was sick in the head, but what was he to do about it?

His father kept such a tight leash on him, literally. After his mother left, his father changed for the worst. The older Mobian took Zero out of school, forcing him to stay home while the abuse just kept getting more and more severe. Ace was deeply hurt by his mate leaving him and blamed Zero for it all. Despite that, Zero could not recall a time that his father was not cruel towards him.

Zero was chained by the wall closest to the couch so that his father would either see or hear him trying to escape. The young canine was always looking for a way out, he was so tired of the pain, so tired of the abuse. Looking a little closer in his father's direction, Zero saw his chance. In his drunken stupor, Ace had left the chain's lock key sitting on the coffee table. It gleamed in the soft light of the lantern that was placed beside it, beckoning the young canine to take it.

Whether or not Zero was able to reach it was a different story.

He stretched out as far, and as quietly, as he could. If Ace woke up and caught what he was trying to do, Zero wasn't sure if he would be able to survive what would follow. After what felt like hours, the young jackal was able to stretch his leg out far enough to grab the key with his toes. Shakily, he unlocked the chain from around his neck. As quietly as possible, Zero stood to his feet and picked up the lantern. Underestimating how heavy the lantern was, it fell from his grasp and loudly clattered onto the table, embers escaping from it, and began to kindle a fire.

Ace's eyes snapped open, immediately falling on Zero's shadowed form; fire reflecting in his eyes. The child yelped and ran to the door as quickly as his legs could carry him, his father clumsily following suit. Zero burst out of the shack and into the small village and ran towards the outskirts. Ace was screaming obscenities, but they fell on deaf ears, Zero did not once look back. He heard other villager's screams, he knew that his father's home had been engulfed in an inferno with the sound of the roof caving in. Though he did not turn to see it, pleasure twisted in his gut.

Making it to an abandoned shop at the edge of the village, Zero took a moment or two to catch his breath. He heaved and panted, drawing the attention of some passersbys. A local gang approached the young jackal, weapons were at the ready. Zero did not just break out of an abusive home just to let some punks finish him off. Standing to his feet, Zero snarled savagely at the group, ready to defend himself if at all necessary. The leader took this as his chance to speak.

"Ay kid, relax," he said in a cool tone, hands up. "We ain't gonna hurtcha. Name's Blade and this is Squad Jackal."

Zero wasn't falling for it, still in an attack stance. He had heard of them before, they were a ragtag group of mercenaries, some of the best in Shamar. Growling louder, he warned them all to stay back. Blade held up his hands again.

"Easy there, kid, we don't wanna hurtcha. We just wanna talk."

"Talk about what, exactly," Zero snapped. "You're nothing but a gang of murderers."

"Hey now, we jus' wanna ask if ya wanted to join our ranks." Blade was calm and collected, gesturing for everyone to put their weapons away. "We saw what ya did back there, that house that caught fire. We also know that it was your old man's place, n' we know what he was doing to ya. Ya got guts, kid. Whataya say?"

Zero pondered for a moment, worried that this was all a clever plot that would end in his blood staining the sand below; something just didn't feel right about this entire scene. He absentmindedly rubbed at the wounds on his neck, wincing as he did. A female in the group gasped and quickly approached Zero, her hands held up to show that she was unarmed. Zero growled at her, daring her to come closer. She ignored his warning and came up to him anyways. The heterochromous jackal was surprised at her boldness, and the fact that he could not move, as she began the process of doctoring his wounds.

After she disinfected the wounds, she took some gauze from a pouch on her hip and wrapped it around the gashes. Once she finished, she slowly floated backward away from Zero. The child was left dumbfounded.

"What was that for? Why exactly did you just do that?"

"Just friends helping out a friend," Blade replied, a smirk gracing his scarred muzzle. "But we ain't got all night. If ya change your mind, you can find us at the tavern in Arid Sands. We'll be waiting."

With that, the group just vanished. Zero was left severely confused, this didn't seem right, but it was also… so familiar? He felt like he had seen this happen once before, though he didn't remember it playing out this way. Unfortunately, he did not have time to reflect on it more. He heard pained moaning coming from close behind him, Zero hesitated to look.

"I finally found you, you little bastard…"

There on the ground crawled his father, his body charred with a few limbs missing; Ace must have gone back inside to put out the fire after Zero escaped. If that was so, Ace should not have survived the fire, he had heard the roof come down on the shack, the young canine clearly heard his dying screams. Then why was he here? The mangled jackal crawled closer and closer to his son.

"You're gonna come back home with me… And we're gonna have a lil' chat man-to-man… father to son…"

Zero was mortified, he stood as still as a statue as his father grabbed his leg and pulled Zero to the ground. A silent scream escaped his lips as he felt his father's hand clasp around his neck.

"I'm gonna make sure you never leave again…"

* * *

The jackal woke up in a panic, almost falling off the couch. Sweat poured off him as his chest heaved; he hadn't had that dream in years… Zero tried to center himself, focusing on listening to Amy's rhythmic breathing as she slept in her room. He also listened to rain pouring outside, creating much-needed ambiance to the jackal's troubled mind; the wet monsoon season had begun. As disgusting as it sounded, he could really use a hug right about now. The heroine would freely give hugs on the daily and the canine could not stand it but… what he would give to have one right now. The jackal just decided to lie back down with his eyes glued to the ceiling, knowing that he was not going to get any more sleep that night.

Amy was a fortune teller, right? Zero wondered if she had brought her tarot cards by any chance. Something deep inside him told the jackal that that dream was a premonition. A vision of what, he was not sure. But something was going to happen, and it was going to happen soon.


	10. Chapter 10: When You Least Expect It

The task of cleaning up the debris that had trashed the clearing was a grueling one, especially when doing it alone. Amy glared over at her jackal companion and cleared her throat; Zero did not so much as sniff in her direction. Ever since he woke up this morning, he had been in a bad mood; a grouch in every sense of the word. She knew something was bothering him, but she couldn't know for sure since he wouldn't tell her anything. He was sitting on a large rock, sulking over whatever that had happened to piss him off.

It's been almost a year into their exile, you would think that Zero would talk about the shit that bothered him. Just when Amy started to think he had come so far; he took several steps back and reminded the urchin that he was not ready to return to civilization. They were friends after all, or so Amy thought. Couldn't he tell her anything? The jackal was really driving her patience, him being angry was making her furious. Zero could be grumpy all he wanted but he could at LEAST help her while doing so. Ugh, this place was driving her batty.

HE was going to drive her batty. She cleared her throat again. He snapped his head to look at her.

"I heard you the first time," he spoke in a low tone, a growl lingering in the back of his throat. "What do you want?"

"What do _I_ want," Amy replied sarcastically, voice raising a few octaves into a squeak. "I _want_ some help."

"Ugh… I'm not in the mood right now. Do it yourself, you're already doing so well."

"I have been doing it myself! What's gotten into you?! I cannot stand it when you get like this."

Amy dropped the various sticks and branches she had been picking up, stomping off to grab the buckets the pair used to get water from the river. She was the first to wake up that morning to find that last night's surprise storm made a mess around the pair's home. Their "yard" was in ruin, fallen forest debris was scattered about the clearing; some of the surrounding trees had fallen as well. All of the clothes she had washed the previous day were nowhere to be seen, along with the clothesline. The hedgehog huffed, deciding that she would have to search for everything later, they couldn't have gone too far.

For now, she just needed some space before she really lost her temper. Amy snatched the pails up and made sure she made quite a ruckus, wanting Zero to know that she was most definitely pissed. Stomping right by him, she waltzed her way towards the path to the river. The monsoons had made a mess everywhere it seemed, but the path was surprisingly clear, give or take the few tree branches.

Zero ignored her clumsiness and did not look at her when she walked past. He didn't want to be angry, but he could not help it. He could feel his mind coming undone like it was finally breaking down. The canine had never once mentioned his father to Amy, and for good reason. The Mobian was dead to him now, literally and metaphorically. The thought of him made Zero's skin crawl and his scars ache. Without realizing it, the jackal started to rub the deeper marks that adorned his neck. Amy never asked him about them… and that was a good thing.

They were a reminder of how strong he truly was; he often forgot.

The dream was pretty severe; piecing together several different memories in one crazy nightmare. It had not been long after his mother left that his father had gone off the deep end, that much was true. However, not everything played out the same way in his dream. He was much older before he met Squad Jackal and join their ranks and they were _not_ friendly in the slightest. The canine shook his head and tried to remember exactly where his thought process was actually leading him to.

While Zero was finally happy to be free that night, it was hard to cope with the fact that he was, in some ways, responsible for his father's death. The desert is a severely dry place, it did not take much to send the shack into an inferno. Zero's father was a lot of things, but he was not one to leave his home; he was much too stubborn for that. The jackal never turned back, but he knew his father went back into the shack to try and douse the fire, ending his life in the process. Zero had heard the shack collapse, screams of agony piercing the night. Whilst hiding in an abandoned shop during that night, he saw the villagers drag his father's charred corpse from the fallen rubble the following morning.

The memory made him shudder and Zero scrambled to clear his head.

Zero hated it when he thought about it. Any time he did, he became either withdrawn or aggressive, lashing out at anything or anyone that dared come near him; lately, it was the former. Amy was very empathetic, and she could tell something was wrong with him every single time. The urchin had since stopped asking him to talk about it with her; if Zero was not going to talk about it with her then it was not worth her time and pity.

It wasn't like Zero didn't want to talk about it with her, he just didn't know _how_. Any thought that involved his father was impossible to talk about. Every time he looked at his reflection, Zero was reminded of his childhood. The rigged grooves etched into his body, crossing all over his back, arms, and his tail partially. They will never heal, and his fur will never grow back on these patches. He wanted to talk about it… How would he even begin, where do you even start?

Amy, when I was a pup, my father severely beat and neglected me, and I ran away to join a band of mercenaries.

That just didn't seem reasonable and would create tension; he was good at that, the jackal thought. Being here in Adabat was completely forced but, despite it all, he and Amy had managed to become friends as much as Zero hated to admit it. While being here, he had talked to her about so much of his life, things he had never shared with another living soul. Amy brought out something in him that he never knew he was capable of. A year ago, that would have frightened him. A year ago, he knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to break the world into submission, to rule it with an iron fist. Deep down, it was all he had ever wanted. Infinite wanted the world to suffer as he had; the Doctor had helped him realize and accomplish his dream. Zero, on the other hand, wanted something else, something that slowly developed during his time here. Now…

A lot can happen in a year, a lot can change.

The canine held his head in his hands, fuck he was pathetic; he hated how much he wanted it, how he craved it. Love was never something he really thought he could obtain. And being in love? Entirely out of the question. In the beginning, Zero was just playing the game; anyway that he could go home sooner, he was willing to do anything. If that meant playing nice, then so be it. Now, however, he found it hard to fake it; it was all genuine. The jackal let out a scoff and stepped off his rock, that was enough brooding for one day.

Zero may be in love with Amy, but he dared not tell her. If he could help it, he would never tell her. He would spend the rest of his life in this blissful friendship with her. The only thing he wanted to do right now was to apologize for his attitude this morning and hope that she would listen to him. With that, the canine made his trek towards the river.

* * *

It had been one second too late, her heart dropped as she fell. She should have been paying attention, this isn't the first time this has happened. Though of course, with the previous few times, Zero had been there to pull her to safety. He would scold her and warn her to be more careful, making the hedgehog walk in front of him so he could keep an eye on her. Due to her carelessness, Amy Rose was now struggling against the violent current of the river as cold water from the mountains rushed to the delta. She held on to a rock with all the strength she could muster; she could feel it fading quickly.

The rains had made the mossy riverbank slick and dangerous. The urchin had lost a couple of her water buckets from slipping on the rocks. She would always laugh it off when Zero got angry with her, though not in an unappreciative and rude way. She thought it was cute whe— She almost lost her grip on the rock, she cleared her thoughts and tried to focus on the matter at hand.

Chaos, the water was cold as FUCK. Amy could not believe she even said that word, even if it was just in her own head; she hated it. She was struggling to breathe, if she let go of this rock, she would most definitely drown. It did not matter if she could swim or not, there was no way anyone could fight this current. While the water wasn't rising, Amy was sinking. The rushing water kept her from being able to see more than a meter in front of her, and even that was diminishing. She was really getting tired now, maybe if she just closed her eyes for a second and rested, she could just leap out of the water on her own and act like nothing ever happened.

She would never hear the end of it from Zero. If she were being honest with herself, she wasn't so sure that she would make it long enough to hear him scold her.


	11. Chapter 11: Heart to Heart

Surprise update! This might honestly be one of my favorite chapters.  
Tho, I apologize for its shortness lmao.

-Sue

* * *

Dark clouds were quickly gathering these past few days. No rain had fallen but Amy knew it was only a matter of time, she could practically smell it. The air around her was humid, almost to the point where you couldn't breathe. If it was this rough on her, she could only imagine how Zero was handling it. Looking over to her left, she watched as he was steady lapping water from their river pails; he was panting hard. She could see that his hair was limp, being heavily weighed down with sweat.

"I bought that fan for a reason, you know," Amy called out to her jackal companion. She was currently in the process of knitting clothes for the rainy season. If she were being honest with herself, she was cutting it a little close. Zero pulled his head out of the bucket and gave Amy a sarcastic, almost offended grin. The urchin returned the expression and the canine rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for offering madame Rose but that fan wouldn't even be powerful enough to blow down a house of cards." Zero's voice was laced with sarcasm, sweat running from his brow. The fan in question was a small, battery-operated one that Amy had acquired at the marketplace a few days ago. Of course, since it ran on batteries, it wasn't very impressive. Even so, the hedgehog didn't think it was half bad.

"Oh, come on, I think it's pretty decent! It makes me feel better." She gave a soft chuckle.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have as much to carry on your head as I do."

"Hey, you are absolutely correct. But hey, we could always chop it off." With that, Zero sat up at full attention. The jackal's eyes locked on to Amy's, practically glaring daggers. The heroine was not the least bit intimidated. She was now able to differentiate between Zero's ferocity from when he was in a playful mood; in this case, it was the latter.

"Absolutely not." Zero's voice was stern and a little on the dark side, his dry humor would have fooled anyone that didn't know him. Amy laughed at him and the canine gave a satisfied smile.

"Yeah, you wouldn't be Fabio without it." Every time Amy brought up that name, he laughed and nodded along like he knew who she was talking about; at this point, he was too afraid to ask otherwise.

* * *

A pair sat together underneath the moonlight; any sound emanating from radio had faded out a long time ago as the two no longer gave it any more attention. The wildlife around them was much more interesting, making such a fuss that it would have been hard to listen to the radio anyways. Stars slowly danced into place in the dark blue sky, fireflies coming out to waltz with them. It was all just so serene, so peaceful and still.

Amy and Zero always talked about things during this time, whether it was embarrassing stories from their childhood or some things much deeper. The canine was much more open about himself than ever before. Amy wondered if he ever had anyone to talk to on this spiritual level before. Almost as if on cue, Zero began to speak.

"You know, I can honestly feel how much I've changed? Getting forced into a new setting does that, I guess. I don't think I could ever be 'Infinite' again even if I wanted to." Amy nodded along with him, content with just listening to whatever he had to say; she had learned a long time ago not poke and pry.

"With that being said, I really have you to thank for that. I wouldn't be who I am right now without your guidance." The hedgehog thought her heart was going to leave her body, he had never said anything quite like that before. Sure, he would express his gratitude through his actions but never with his words.

"Hey," Amy stuttered, trying to find her center. "You should really be thanking yourself as well. You were willing to change; I didn't make you do that."

"Be that as it may, I still appreciate everything you've done to get me to this point. I know I haven't been an easy case." Zero grew silent after that, all that he wanted to say had been said. Amy's cheeks grew sore from the smile that seemed to permanently adorn her muzzle; she couldn't shoo it away. All she could do was take in what they had said to one another. Zero has had a complete change of heart, it was incredible. Everyone that she talked to before she had left home thought it was a lost cause and that she was just going to get herself killed. While the urchin had started to believe them at first, she knew deep down that this endeavor would be fruitful. Amy lightly chuckled and looked over to Zero.

"You know Zee, I appreciate everything you've done as well…" He perked and looked over at her, ears erect.

"Appreciate what? My attitude?"

"No, silly. Your courage and bravery. This has been difficult for us both as you said. But… you have changed, yes. It's been amazing to watch you grow into who you are in this moment, I am so grateful to have been here for the ride. I appreciate you for listening to me." She heard the jackal huff out a small chuckle.

"Honestly, if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have been such a little shit in the beginning."

"Oh that didn't really bother me, I love a good challenge." She was beaming the brightest smile that Zero had ever seen. Amy was utterly enchanting; she made his chest flutter. He felt the knots forming in his gut and he had to look to the ground away from her. Zero could stare and study her features for the rest of his life, she was perfect. If only he could tell her that.

If only he had the courage that the urchin believed he possessed.


	12. Chapter 12: Gravity

Pull me close, I can feel the water reach around my neck.  
Don't let go, just show me that there's better days ahead.

* * *

The burning in Amy's chest slowly started to fade into a dull ache. She had completely forgotten what she was doing. More importantly, where in the world _was_ she? A vast, endless vacuum that spread for what could possibly be several thousand parsecs in any given direction. There was nothing here; no stars, no wildlife.

Just a barren blackness.

She was sure that she was previously freezing but now she felt almost… warm? Everything around her looked dark and empty but the heroine did not fear her surroundings; she felt rather at peace. The space around her slowly started to brighten and she turned to the newly formed light source; a star perhaps? Where had it come from, it was not here a second ago? It seemed so welcoming, so inviting. It beckoned her to come closer; it was almost as if it was calling her home.

Before she could stop herself, Amy felt a force push her towards the light; whether it was the will of the light itself, she couldn't be sure. What she _was_ sure of was that she could hear a disembodied voice that reverberated throughout the void. The voice was desperate in tone, loud and familiar to the hedgehog. It sounded faint, longing for something though Amy couldn't piece together what the voice wanted. For some reason, Amy felt as if she had to fight against the force that was bringing her towards the light; something inside her was telling her to go back.

It wasn't her time yet.

* * *

Zero was shivering from his sopping fur, FUCK that water was cold. As soon as the canine realized what had happened, he had wasted no time leaping into the rushing river to rescue his beloved; he didn't even think twice about it. His throat felt raw from screaming the hedgehog's name as loudly as he had. The current was strong but as cliché as it sounded, love allowed him to overpower the rushing stream; tho almost killing him in the process. He held onto Amy as tightly as he could and forced his way back to the mossy shore. Zero did not even allow himself to rest before he got to work.

Amy was now laid out beneath him as he began giving chest compressions; the jackal mentally thanking Amy for teaching him CPR procedures some moons ago. He leaned over her form to give her mouth-to-mouth, giving everything he had into it but even that didn't feel like enough. Her body was as cold as ice and he feared he was too late; her breathing had all but stopped. He prayed to every God he had ever heard of to perform the miracle of bringing Amy back to him. Giving her a couple of breaths, he sat back up and continued counting the compressions.

_One, two, three, four—_

Amy violently sputtered and coughed up copious amounts of water, sitting up as she did so. Dazed and short of breath, she attempted cough some more to get whatever was left occupying her aching lungs; it took every part of her weakened body not to vomit right then and there. Finding her center, she finally looked up towards the being that was close in her personal space. Amy found herself nose-to-nose with Zero, both of them simultaneously panting.

The hedgehog suddenly felt very small. She was so ready to hear him scream at her, for him to tell her how much of an idiot she was for falling into the river in the first place. How dare she have to make him rescue her, this entire situation could have been avoided if only she had kept a level head. Instead of everything she expected the jackal to do, what he actually did was the farthest thing from her mind.

He pulled her close into one of the strongest hugs she had ever received.

There was no malice or ill-will behind it, it was all genuine. It was as if Zero was putting all of his life-force into the embrace, afraid that she would somehow slip back into the rushing tides below. Amy suddenly started shivering as the temperature of the river had finally caught up to her and that was enough to snap the canine back to reality.

Without a single word, Zero scooped Amy up bridal-style and carried her back towards their hut, making his way towards the clothesline. The jackal was hit with an incredibly heavy blow; he had forgotten that the previous storm had blown all of their laundry Chaos _knows_ where. That would mean that Amy doesn't… have anything to change into. That just wouldn't do, she had to get out of her current outfit. The canine could feel his entire body grow hot, how awkward would that be? But if she didn't get out of those clothes, she will soon succumb to hypothermia.

"Zee," Amy suddenly broke the silence and Zero's internal panic. Without asking him, she already knew why he looked so bewildered. "Do you still have that towel I got for you…?"

The canine suddenly perked up; he did still have that stupid towel. He hadn't had to use it since the last time Amy washed the laundry, it was in his trunk. Zero gently placed Amy on the couch as he rummaged through the chest to fish out the towel. His ear twitched as he heard a soft chuckle leave Amy's lips.

"Not so useless a trade now, huh?"

He wanted to scold her then. There was a time and a place for jokes and right now, he was definitely _not_ in the mood for a laugh. All he wanted right now was for Amy to shed her wet clothes and get dry before the elements took her away… again. The urchin's ears flattened as she realized on her own that Zee wasn't in the mood for her silliness. She was weary of his lack of talking and conversation, she had never seen him so worked up and upset before… That was unnerving in itself since Zero was always so confident and sure of himself all the time.

"m' sorry…" He shushed her, handing her the towel and closing the chest. Amy's own face went hot as she realized what she now had to do. Her companion slightly nodded towards her bedroom and he walked outside to give her more privacy. In her room, the hedgehog rid herself of her soiled garments and plopped them on the floor; Amy quickly wrapped up in the towel and was instantly surrounded by warmth.

She padded softly through the shack and outside to where Zero was. He was sitting on the steps, his tail wrapped around him and his head buried into his arms, all resting on his knees. His breathing was deep and shaky, almost as if he was trying to stop himself from crying. Given the events that had just transpired in such a short amount of time, that was likely. Clearing her throat, Amy made her presence known.

He did not so much as acknowledge her, not even an ear twitch.

"Zee… Please don't ignore me… I'm okay…" Still, he said nothing, but he did turn an ear towards her. The hedgehog decided that that was enough, and she came and sat beside him, startling the canine. She tenderly took Zero's hand into her own and the jackal swore it was like touching a livewire, every hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Zero. I'm fine. I'm alive thanks to you…" The canine sighed. Duh. He wanted to tell her that she was foolish to have been so careless and that she should have been more aware of her surroundings. So many things he wanted to say but he just couldn't make the thoughts form into words and then to speak. The canine felt as if he were looking a ghost in the face, he was so close to losing her… He wasn't sure that he had actually articulated that enough. Sure, _speaking_ would help matters.

But still, he said nothing. He only shivered, his body still drying after his swim. It hadn't bothered him yet but now that he wasn't holding Amy and he could sit for a minute, he realized how chilled he actually was. The look that the hedgehog gave him broke his heart a thousand-fold.

"You're cold…? I'm so sorry that you had to give up your towel for me…"

"Rose… don't be sorry. You needed it more than I ever would." Finally, he spoke. For what felt like the first time in his life, the jackal felt that he didn't have to be a hardass anymore; Zero didn't even think that he could feign that tough persona right now anyways. As he told himself earlier, there was a time and place for everything. Now just wasn't the time.

"Okay… Well, I'm not sure about you, but I'm tired. Would it be too much to ask for you to stay with me while I fell asleep…? I know you don't like sleeping _with_ me…" Zero did not realize that the day had passed so quickly, and the sun was swiftly sinking into the sky. He gave a gentle nod, standing with her and guiding her towards her bed. Standing close by, the jackal supervised her as she climbed into the bunk and swaddled herself under the comforter. As exhausted as he was, Zero didn't think that he would be getting much sleep tonight.

The heroine curled up into a ball as she always did, slightly hugging her pillow. She rubbed her face into the softness, Zero wondered if doing that was comforting in some way? With a gentle sigh, Amy's breaths slowly became more and more steady; she had fallen into slumber. The jackal took this moment to soak it all in.

Her form was outlined by the growing moonlight emanating from through the window. He had never thought of anyone as beautiful until he met Amy. She truly looked like a goddess… Before he wondered if he should, the jackal made his way to the other side of the bed and sat down. Thankfully, he hadn't disturbed her in the slightest. Even though he wasn't going to sleep, that didn't mean that he had to stand up and be uncomfortable all night. He did not want to take his eyes off her, not even for a second.

The canine found himself rubbing his hands over his face, angry at himself for not speaking to her. She was worried about him, it was obvious. The only reason that he didn't talk to her was that he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop talking. Zero supposed that he would have to talk about his feelings sooner or later, it seemed as if the former was being forced on him now.; having Amy almost taken away from him solidified it.

He could wait no longer, Zero had to tell her tomorrow…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yeah guys, this might be the last update for some time. Life has completely gotten ahold of me and its hard to find time to do anything right now. But hey, there are two chapters left! I have 13 partially written and 14 outlined, stay tuned!

\- Sue


	13. Chapter 13: The Truth

The morning light slowly filled the room, bringing its heat along with it. Flickies were chirping away in the teak trees surrounding the hut, Amy groggily wishing that they would shut up. She had awoken with a splitting headache that was either the result of what happened yesterday or the fact that she did not eat anything last night. Speaking of food, along with the morning dew invading her senses, she could also smell a fresh meal being cooked. Who on Mobius…?

Kicking off the comforter, Amy quickly wrapped back up in her towel that had fallen off over the course of the night. Making her way outside, she saw Zero sewing beside their smallest of cauldrons; an equally small flame was burning beneath it. Since when did he make clothes? She also looked around and saw that the clothesline was back in business, freshly laundered clothes hanging from it. The creaking boards of the steps alerted Zero to her presence, and he sent a soft smile her way.

"g'morning, Rose." He sounded so tired… _Did he not sleep?_ Amy would have to have him rest soon, even though she knew that he would fight it every step of the way. With a full-toothed yawn, the jackal continued his greeting. The jackal's words sounded like jargon due to his lack of sleep; Amy found it rather cute and endearing. "I didn't think the laundry would be dry before you woke up, so I went through the liberty of making you… a shirt? It was supposed to be a shirt, but I used myself for reference, so… it will probably be big enough to be a dress."

Amy giggled at that. Eying the garment more closely, it did look _pretty_ large; it would most definitely swallow her if she put it on. With how well the seams were stitched together, the hedgehog wondered if Zee had made clothes before? What other skills was he hiding from her; just from spending a year with him, she found out that he was an expert in survival tactics, a skilled builder, and a master swordsman. The desert dweller was just full of surprises.

"Well, let me know when you finish it, I would love to try it on. On another note, what are you making…?" The younger girl peered over at the boiling contents of the cauldron, and Zero flashed a toothy grin her way.

"I know you can smell it. It's wild berry porridge. I wanted to attempt making it again. It should be ready, go ahead and get some."

Amy did not hesitate to take up his offer; she could practically smell the sugar in it. Scooping a ladle full into a ceramic bowl, she began feasting on it. Despite burning her tongue in the process, the urchin hummed a tune of approval.

"As if I didn't have enough problems," Amy said as she stuck her now-sore tongue out. Zero chuckled at her, rolling his eyes.

"Have patience, young one."

"That's funny coming from you, Zee." The canine wiggled his ears, earning another giggle from Amy.

"Hmm, touché."

The two sat in comfortable silence, Amy eating her breakfast and Zero finishing sewing the hedgehog's… shirt. The rest of their day went like any other: washing dishes, putting away clothes, berry picking, and fishing; Amy even managed Zee to squeeze in a short hour nap into his busy schedule before the sun started to set lower and lower into the horizon. Their day ended sitting on the pier, the pink urchin swinging her feet off the edge to have her toes skim the surface of the water below; the urchin was now donning the "shirt" Zero had made her.

Pinks and purples as the sun's presence slowly subsided, a darker purple and blue replacing the watercolor-like sky. The ambiance of crashing waves nearby on the shoreline was an added bonus; this view was heavenly. Amy loved watching the stars twinkle into the sky, and she especially loved seeing "shooting stars." The ripping water reflected the moon's light, making Amy's chest swell.

It made her wonder if Zee was enjoying himself just as she was?

Glancing over at Zero, her question was quickly answered, and it made a breath hitch in her throat. Just from the look on his face, she could tell something was wrong. He was deep in thought, a worried expression glazed across his face. He was slumped forward, staring at the rippling sea below, but he wasn't _actually_ _watching_. His mind had wandered elsewhere, somewhere far from reality. Swallowing hard, Amy started to speak but was instantly cut off by Zero.

"Amy," he started with a solemn tone, his voice still sounded so tired; the heroine wasn't so sure if he was really exhausted at this point. Her heart fell just from the tone alone. "So much has changed this past year… I've grown as a Mobian and so have you. There are so many things that I've done that I regret, so many things I've said; I will never forgive myself. I thought that I would go all my life being 'Infinite' but…"

He cut himself off. The rodent was hanging on every word he said, anticipating where he was going with this conversation. Instead of blurting out her own thoughts, she waited until she was sure he was finished with his monologue; that was a lesson that she had learned some months ago.

"But," he continued, his voice raising an octave. "I realize now that… I never really wanted any of that. The power, the world, the pain I brought others; I wanted none of it. Infinite thought it was fun; he thought it was a game. But Infinite didn't… well he didn't have you…"

Amy felt a breath hitch in her throat.

"With your help, I've finally become myself again, who I used to be before I met the Doctor. You've made me want to be a better person. I have never realized how much I needed someone like you until… yesterday. I thought that I lost you. It took everything I had in me to fish you from the river, one wrong move, and you would have been swept away. I couldn't sleep last night; I sat by your side until the sun started to rise. The fact that you're sitting beside me isn't enough because I still feel that if I look away for even a second, you'll be gone…"

The urchin's heart was practically beating out of her chest, it was uncontrollable. It was turning somersaults, jumping all around, in her stomach and in her throat. She wanted so desperately to say something, but he wasn't finished yet, she did not want to interrupt; even if he was finished talking, she didn't think that she would be able to find any words to say anyways.

"Amy," he began again, trailing off. "There's something that I need to tell you, I just…"

He cut off again, suddenly putting his head in his hands, startling the heroine as he did so. Zero gritted his teeth, tears prickling in his eyes and threatening to spill. Gulping hard and taking a deep breath, he managed to find his center once more. Amy made a daring move as she gently grasped her friend's hand, she felt him flinch at her touch; however, he did not shy away from her.

"Th-this is… so hard to say… It's never this hard to talk to you… Why is it so difficult now?"

"Zee," the hedgehog took this as her chance to speak. "What's on your mind…? I'm worried about what's got you so worked up on top of everything else…"

And there it was, that selflessness; her kind and genuine caring nature. She was always willing to put others' needs before her own, it always baffled the canine. She has to be at least a little certain on what he wants to tell her, she's not stupid. Zero knows that she knows it's important, whatever it is. So why can't he just say it like a normal Mobian?

_Amelia Rose, I am in love with you. I've been in love with you for quite some time now. Is that creepy? Is that too much? Would I be too forward?_

The canine didn't even know where to begin, this was just too much in such a short time. He wonders if he should have jumped the gun so quickly, that maybe it just wasn't the right time. Gazing into Amy's eyes, he watched as the rise and fall of the ocean waves, the reflection of them rolling in her eyes. She was utterly enchanting; he had never been interested in anyone until this hedgehog waltz into his world. The jackal inhaled a deep breath and sighed.

Stop stalling. Just get on with it, coward.

"Amy, I… I love you." There it was. Zero's heart all but left his body, a bead of sweat fell from his brow. He watched his companion's face morph through so many expressions; surprise, confusion, and so many more. None of those expressions were in disgust or anger so that was good, right? Finally, her face fell into one of softness, of understanding. The canine had forgotten that Amy was still holding his hand and he jumped when he felt a squeeze.

"Zee… Is that what all this fuss was about…?" Zero felt so embarrassed now, his entire body had grown hot even amidst the coolness of the night air. Yes, that's what all this fuss had been about. That's what everything had always been about; Zero's heart changing as he spent more time with Amy, going against everything he was ever comfortable with just to keep her safe, and putting his own life on the line to save hers. It was all so clear yet so clouded, the fact that she had asked otherwise made him terrified that he somehow hadn't been apparent enough.

The canine watched as Amy raised a hand and rested it over her heart, a small giggle leaving her body.

"This is so cheesy but… I feel the same. I have for a while. I love you too, Zero." The jackal swore he could see stars dance around her. Or was that just his blood pressure skyrocketing? He had never been so happy or so scared of a sentence in his entire life. Now what? He couldn't really ponder about it further. Sometime between his inner monologue and freaking out, Amy had started closing the distance between them. Her hand left his own, slowly making its way to the canine's cheek. Amy brushed his face with her thumb and felt the heat forming beneath Zero's fur.

Finally, their lips came together. A passionate yet gentle joining, Zero felt his eyelids flutter and close. He would have never thought that his first kiss would feel so pleasant. Ignoring his better judgment, the jackal took a deep breath and pulled Amy closer to him. She was now flush against him, secure in his embrace, and content. When they had finished and opened their eyes, lightning bugs had filled the air and waltz around the pair. Amy giggled and blew one into Zero's face, earning her one very soft grunt and sneeze.

Taking a stand, the jackal offered his hand to Amy. She took it and he quickly scooped her up and stood her on her feet. Hand in hand, the two made the trek back to their hut with a new sense of purpose in the little world they had created.

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

And there you have it! Not a very thrilling end to this story but a sweet one! I am so very sorry for how long it took to finish this last chapter. I am thinking of writing an epilogue but that won't be for a while yet. (I also have thoughts for my next story project following this same AU.) Anyways, thank you everyone for reading and following this story!

If you would like, follow my deviantART sue-boo! I regularly post art of these two and have their designs posted! Also, consider following me on Instagram at suetonicsonic! (I am most active there and you will see art sooner there than anywhere else.)

Once again, thank you so much everyone!

\- Sue


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